OBSERVATORY OF HATE - SEE. MONITOR. REACT.
Manipulation of security issues and arms smuggling, based on an article in Rzeczpospolita (April 29 - May 12, 2026)
As part of the Telegram monitoring, the project team identified a post (https://t.me/newsfactory_pl/85478) on the NewsFactory PL channel based on an article by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita concerning police preparations for a potential increase in arms smuggling after the end of the war. The social media post reproduces the sensational headline of the original article and lists technical details of Project Trident, but radically shifts the emphasis through selective quotation. While the original article focuses on preventive measures, international experience (particularly from the Balkans), and the strengthening of security infrastructure, the post presents this information as evidence of an inevitable and already existing threat coming exclusively from the Ukrainian side. The use of emotional markers and the simplification of the content transform the article into a tool for intimidating Polish society.
The main manipulation lies in the deliberate omission of a key fact — Ukraine’s active participation as a full-fledged partner in the implementation of Project Trident. While the Polish media outlet explicitly points to cooperation with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and quotes police officials assuring that no mass smuggling into Poland has been recorded so far, the Telegram channel constructs an image of Ukraine as a “source of danger” rather than an ally. The authors also employ decontextualization: hypothetical expert forecasts about future risks are presented as facts, ignoring the current efforts of both states to control weapons trafficking. This distortion deprives readers of the understanding that the threat is a shared challenge that both sides are already successfully addressing.
For journalists and editorial teams, this case demonstrates how even truthful information can become fuel for hostile propaganda through poor framing. When Polish media use overly sensational headlines that omit Russia’s role as the root cause of the crisis, they unintentionally create content that can easily be adapted by Russian sources to fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Journalists should bear in mind that Poland is a priority target of information operations, which means that such topics require careful contextualization: emphasizing partnership with Ukraine, mentioning joint successes in uncovering illegal weapons caches, and clearly identifying the aggressor as the source of security risks for all of Europe.
Recommendations for journalists:
- Always remind audiences that the risk of smuggling is a direct consequence of Russian aggression, not an “internal problem” of Ukraine.
- Do not omit the role of Ukrainian services (SBU, National Police) in joint operations. This shifts the focus from “protection FROM Ukraine” to “protection TOGETHER WITH Ukraine.”
- Even if a headline is factually accurate, it should not reinforce the narrative of “Ukraine as a threat,” since such wording is immediately exploited to destabilize relations between nations.
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Operator — the Stefan Batory Foundation. Neither the European Union nor the Operator can be held responsible for them.
