po polsku
ilustracja: DALL-EAnti-Ukrainian propaganda on social media is rising drastically, according to research conducted by the Demagog Association and the Institute for Media Monitoring (IMM). If the number of posts targeting Ukraine and Ukrainians is considered a measure of anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland, then it is clear that these sentiments have significantly intensified in recent months.
Increase in Propaganda Scale
In 2024, the scale of anti-Ukrainian propaganda in Polish-language internet reached a new, alarming level. Analysts from Demagog and IMM identified nearly 327,000 posts, potentially reaching over 75 million contacts - about 40,000 more posts and over 20 million more contacts than the previous year.
A particularly concerning factor is the sharp increase in anti-Ukrainian activity in the second half of the year: in March and April, around 22,000 and just over 20,000 posts were recorded, whereas in November and December, just before the election campaign, these numbers rose to over 36,000 and 33,000. This could indicate that the influence of pro-Kremlin narratives on society is rapidly growing.
As a media monitoring company, we are concerned about the growing impact of anti-Ukrainian propaganda, whose intensification on platforms like X and Facebook shapes public sentiment. Our report highlights that discussions in open internet spaces are merely the tip of the iceberg of hate - the spread of negative content also occurs on private profiles and closed groups, making it even harder to combat disinformation. Despite efforts to limit hate speech, blocking individual sources does not prevent the emergence of new ones, indicating the need for greater involvement from media administrators in combating hate speech and disinformation, emphasizes Monika Ezman, Director of the Quality Management Center and Analysis Department at the Institute for Media Monitoring.
Most Anti-Ukrainian Propaganda Found on Platform X
Nearly 85% of anti-Ukrainian posts - 277,015 entries - were published on platform X. Their reach increased by nearly 39% compared to the previous year, clearly showing that anti-Ukrainian propaganda is not only intensifying but also reaching a larger audience.
Facebook posts accounted for a smaller share, over 8% (26,599 posts), yet these texts also contribute to spreading false narratives and propaganda. The report identified the ten most active accounts on both platform X and Facebook. Surprisingly, six user profiles from platform X were already in the top ten last year, while five accounts reappearing on the list were from Facebook.
Grzegorz Braun`s Anti-Ukrainian Posts Reach Enormous Audiences
Among the most active users on platform X who spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda was MEP Grzegorz Braun from the Confederation of the Polish Crown. His accounts on both platform X and Facebook regularly posted content attacking Ukraine and its citizens.
However, the leader of this unfavorable ranking on platform X was Martin Demirov, who describes himself as "a Slovak from Banská Bystrica interested in Poland." He consistently equated Ukrainians with Nazis and Banderites - this narrative, according to the Polish Institute of International Studies, is one of the key pillars of pro-Russian disinformation. In one of his posts, Demirov compared the decision of the U.S. Congress to support Ukraine to Adolf Hitler`s birthday.
The accounts we identified did not limit themselves to repeating Russian propaganda slogans blaming Ukrainians for provoking Russia’s attack or spreading hate speech comparing them to parasites. They also published false information - often attributing the Bucha massacre to Ukrainians and spreading fake news about the alleged destruction of a Polish cemetery in Brody, even though no such incident took place, explains Łukasz Grzesiczak, senior analyst at Demagog and author of the report.
Polish Attitudes Toward Ukrainians Are Worsening
The report`s findings align with social research results - according to a CBOS survey, 30% of Poles feel sympathy toward Ukrainians, while 38% express dislike, and 27% remain neutral. Compared to 2023, sympathy has dropped by 10 percentage points, while dislike has increased by 8 points.
It is worth mentioning the research of Dr. Robert Staniszewski from the University of Warsaw, conducted in June 2024, which showed that the percentage of Poles noticing a change in their attitude toward Ukrainian refugees increased from 25% to 35% compared to January 2023. Moreover, 90% of respondents in this group believe their attitude toward refugees has recently worsened.
How Was the Report Created?
The study was based on an analysis of 18 keywords most commonly used by Polish disinformation actors. These included words such as "ukry," "ukropol," "ukrainizacja," "banderyzacja," as well as hashtags #StopUkrainizacjiPolski and #StopBanderyzacji. Our methodology remains unchanged, allowing for comparisons with previous and future reports and enabling precise monitoring of trends.
The full report is available in Polish on the Demagog Association website.
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