DISINFO: A flood victim got pneumonia because the Polish government prioritises Ukrainians
SUMMARY
Floods in Poland caught Polish authorities unprepared. This unpreparedness, according to local journalists, comes from Warsaw’s illusionary dreams to benefit from the Ukrainian conflict. Instead of preventing the floods, Poland financially supported the Kyiv regime. Ordinary Poles, victims of flood, are also angry with state authorities. One local woman wrote on her Facebook account that she and her daughter tried to find temporary shelter at a local hotel. It was, however, fully occupied by Ukrainian refugees. So, the woman and her daughter were hosted at a cold local school where they lacked blankets. Consequently, the girl caught pneumonia. Her mother hopes state authorities will investigate why refugees were treated better than Poles.
RESPONSE
This is a manipulation attempt in the context of September 2024 floods that hit southern Poland and other Central European countries. Its aim is to undermine Ukraine’s support among the Polish population.
The publication manipulatively suggests that destruction provoked by flood was possible due to financial assistance that Poland has provided to Ukraine. In reality, there is hardly a direct link between the two given that different budget sources are normally allocated for different purposes. It is a convenient and manipulative way to criticise whatever past actions in case of natural disasters which may bring destruction, regardless of how much public money have been spent on their prevention.
Poland is among many nations which are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance to help it repel Russia's aggression and restore its sovereignty over its internationally recognised borders of 1991.
The TV report in question also cites a seemingly fake Facebook post which tells a personal story that has never happened. On 20 September 2024, a Facebook user under the identical name as demonstrated in the TV report, attached the screenshot of the post in question in one of the public Facebook groups related to the floods in Poland, and left the comment saying, “I haven’t written this post! I haven’t even been evacuated nor do I have a daughter!!!”
See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine, that Poland intensified its pro-Ukrainian lobbying in order to overtake Ukraine’s western territories, and that Poland is showing interest in Ukrainian territories.