Russian propaganda spreaders in Poland are intensifying their efforts to prove that Kiev is behind the recent acts of sabotage on the Vistula River. Their key argument is always the same: the perpetrators were Ukrainian citizens. In this narrative, the fundamental facts—who the perpetrators worked for, where they came from, and who paid them—are deliberately omitted. This disinformation is reinforced by thousands of online posts by trolls, and the passivity of social media administrators makes them jointly responsible for the wave of hatred and support for terrorism.
Although it might seem that such primitive propaganda would only reach a narrow audience, the reality is more complex. This message resonates with people who are already anti-Ukrainian, driven by historical resentments or social problems. It also finds fertile ground in the Polish political hell – part of society is willing to believe that acts of sabotage are merely “government manipulation” intended to cover up current crises, such as coalition problems or the budget deficit.
The paradox of the Ukrainian traitor
There is also a group of people who sincerely cannot understand why Ukrainian citizens would work for Moscow. This surprise is all the more surprising given that it has been known for years that there is a group of people in this nation who serve the Kremlin, even if they hold Ukrainian passports. The embodiment of this milieu was Viktor Yanukovych, who ruled Ukraine for years, pursuing Russian interests (it is worth recalling that Polish politicians, such as Leszek Miller, were still signing cooperation agreements with his pro-Moscow Party of Regions in 2013).
The answer to these doubts is simple: formally, they are Ukrainians, but in reality, they are traitors who have nothing in common with a society fighting against Russian aggression. The Ukrainian nation is fighting the invader, while the collaborators are supporting the aggressor.
The difficulty in understanding that patriots and traitors can coexist within one nation is strange, given that Polish history provides similar examples. There is no need to go back to the times of the Targowica Confederation – it is enough to mention the period of the Polish People’s Republic, when communist decision-makers ruled Poland at the point of Russian bayonets, persecuting their own compatriots. The present day also provides painful evidence: since 2014, activists from some Polish nationalist groups have been traveling to Donbas to support pro-Russian separatists – either through propaganda or with weapons in their hands. Figures such as Judge Szmydt and the deserter Czeczko, who fled to Lukashenko’s regime, clearly show that treason has no nationality.
The mechanism of provocation: the case of Uzhhorod
Moscow has mastered the art of exploiting social divisions, breeding extremists, and using them for “false flag” operations. A perfect example of such an operation, in which the roles were reversed, was an incident in 2018.
In February 2018, in Uzhhorod, in the Ukrainian region of Zakarpattia, two Poles, Adrian M. (22) and Tomasz Sz. (26), attempted to set fire to the building of the Hungarian Cultural Society of Zakarpattia using Molotov cocktails. The perpetrators were associated with the Polish extreme nationalist movement (Falanga), and their goal was not to fight the Hungarians, but to cause a rift between Budapest and Kyiv. To direct suspicion towards the so-called “Banderites,” they painted a swastika and the number “88” on the facade. The goal was clear: to cause an international scandal in which the blame would fall on the Ukrainians, and the Polish connection would remain hidden.
The operation ended in failure. The perpetrators were recorded by CCTV, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) immediately forwarded the data to the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW). Both were arrested and sentenced to prison.
An international network of instigators
The investigation revealed a network of instigators that extended far beyond Poland’s borders. The organizer of the operation was Michał Prokopowicz, leader of the Krakow branches of Falanga and the pro-Russian party Zmiana, who recruited the arsonists, paying them €500 each.
However, the key figure was Prokopowicz’s client, Manuel Ochsenreiter. He was a German journalist with extreme right-wing views, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Zuerst!”, and above all, assistant and advisor to Markus Frohnmaier, a member of the Bundestag representing the AfD (Alternative for Germany). Ochsenreiter’s actions were in line with the guidelines of the Russian services, which suited both the pro-Russian part of the German political scene and Moscow itself.
There is also a Belarusian angle to this case, which coincides with recent acts of sabotage on the railways. The curator of pro-Russian activities in Poland was Belarusian activist Aleksander Usowski. Emails disclosed on the internet show that Usowski, financed by Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev, paid Polish nationalists to organize anti-Ukrainian pickets, destroy monuments, and spread hatred online. He prepared the groundwork that Ochsenreiter later took advantage of. Usowski should be seen as an extension of the Moscow services, which often operate from Belarusian territory, using citizens of various countries for their own purposes.
The fate of “useful tools”
The story from Uzhhorod carries an important lesson about the fate of collaborators. Manuel Ochsenreiter, wanting to avoid criminal responsibility in Germany, fled to Russia. There, in Moscow, he died suddenly of a “heart attack.”
This case shows that Moscow treats its agents as disposable tools. Cooperation lasts only as long as it is beneficial to the Kremlin. The Polish justice system, despite prison sentences, gives a chance to survive – the Falanga perpetrators served their sentences. However, the fate of Ochsenreiter, Czeczka, and perhaps soon other fugitives, proves that the powers that be in the East are capable of physically eliminating witnesses and spent assets.
It is worth noting that in the case of the attack in Uzhhorod, the Ukrainian side showed great political maturity. Kyiv did not demand an apology from Poland and did not use the incident to stir up anti-Polish sentiment. It was understood that although the terrorists had Polish passports, the order came from Moscow. And it is Moscow, not Poland or Germany, that bears sole responsibility for this act of terror.
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