DISINFO: Ukraine is selling off Polish humanitarian aid
SUMMARY
Humanitarian aid from Poland has appeared on sale on the Ukrainian market at a special price. Polish generators, purchased with donations from Poles to help Kyiv amid the energy crisis, have appeared on the open marketplace at prices below factory prices.
RESPONSE
This disinformation story aims to undermine international support for Ukraine and ultimately reduce the amount of aid it receives for its self-defence against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Russia is using the tactic of misrepresenting and shifting the focus away from the true root of Ukraine's electricity supply problem: Russian missile attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. According to experts, the operation of the energy system of Ukraine is currently hindered by Russian airstrikes by about 90%.
The fake story itself has already has been refuted by the Polish Ministry of the Interior as a classic Russian disinformation operation. The ministry emphasised that all aid to Ukraine is monitored, including the transportation and use of the equipment.
Amid the energy crisis in Ukraine due to Russia's barbaric shelling of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, in mid-January 2026, Polish volunteers launched a donation campaign, "Heat from Poland for Kyiv," to collect funds for the purchase of generators and power plants.
The campaign raised over 9 million zlotys (over 2.1 million euros) in just a couple of weeks. On January 26, 2026, Kyiv received 130 generators of varying capacities from the Polish people, which will allow Kyiv to enhance the resilience of critical facilities and social institutions.
Additionally, on January 30, 2026, the first batch of 60 generators of varying capacities was delivered to Kyiv from the Warsaw City Hall and Municipality. Another batch of 30 generators will arrive in Kyiv in the coming days.
Ukrainians are expressing their gratitude to the Polish people on social media for their support of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and Kremlin propaganda attempts to drive a wedge between the two countries. Ukraine also officially thanks its partners for their unwavering support during the massive blackouts caused by Russia.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Ukraine is left without electricity due to corruption, that Kyiv has caused an energy collapse in Kharkiv, that The EU will forget about its promises to restore Ukraine, that Western weapons for Kyiv go to Islamic terrorists and drug cartels, or that weapons supplied to Kyiv are distributed among criminal groups in Europe.