Russian media warns against the alleged Ukrainian provocation against Poland, which – in their opinion – may be the sphere of World War III. ” – Russia always talks about “provocation” when she is preparing surgery under a false flag to arouse anxiety or slander Ukraine – Olena Czuranowa from the Stopfake website told PAP.
A provocation that is to draw Russia into the war with NATO
The Russian agency TASS published a message on Tuesday citing the information of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SWR), according to which Kyiv allegedly prepares a provocation against Poland and Romania.
TASS wrote about a simulated attack on critical infrastructure, which after incidents with drones in Polish and Romanian airspace – for which Moscow accuses Ukraine – according to SWR, he is to additionally disturb the world opinion, set it against Russia and engage NATO into war.
On September 26, TASS also cited the words of the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zacharowa, who on her account on his telegram referred to the allegedly prepared operation by Kiev.
Referring to reports of “several Hungarian media”, Zacharów wrote about “Plans of Vladimir Zelanski regarding sabotage in Poland and Romania.”
“The Banderite Regime of Zelensky Has Decided to Attack Poland.” pic.twitter.com/ocitrwfq8l
– Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) Seppember 30, 2025
Zacharów also gave a link to the article of the Hungarian portal Pestisracok.hu (according to various sources, the portal has 1.6-2.1 million visits per month – PAP), where two hours earlier the article “War in Ukraine was published: If you look at this map, you will not believe anyone that there is a war there!” The text wrote about “Ukrainian plans” and the fact that such a sabotage “would be a logical step of Ukrainians to get into NATO war.”
Also another Hungarian -language portal Buon.hu published the text “Will there be a Ukrainian attack under a false flag on Poland and Romania?”.
Zacharów wrote on a telegram that the purpose of the alleged provocation is to “blame Russia” and compared it to the Gliwice provocation.
The Gliwice operation was the action of special services of the Third Reich of August 31, 1939. German agents, pretending to be Poles, attacked the German radio station in Gliwice, which was to be used as an excuse to start World War II.
As Zacharów wrote, “Europe was never so close to the outbreak of World War III in modern times.”
The expert explains what's going on
According to prof. Roman Baecker, lecturer at the Faculty of Politics and Security Sciences of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, The momentum of this disinformation campaign may mean that the Kremlin is again conducting a “completely fabricated propaganda operation”, but this time mainly for internal use.
– All Russian media, and not only the most important newspapers, give information about the alleged provocation. This means that we are dealing with convincing the Russians that Kiev is warming, that he will not go back from anything, and above all he does not want peace – said BECKER.
In his opinion, the Kremlin in this way tries to maintain systematically falling social support for the war against Ukraine.
The interlocutor of PAP also emphasized that information on the alleged Ukrainian provocation is at the same time completely consistent with the existing line of Russian propaganda and is to discourage Kiev.
– According to Russian propagandists, Ukraine is behind the presence of Russian drones in Poland and in Romania, and the Danish people only attached the appearance of unmanned airports – said Baecker and added that the Russians have to silence the invasion of Russian fighters in the Estonian aircraft in their propaganda, because it is difficult to throw it on Kiev.
In the opinion of PAP interlocutor, every rumor or fossilment that can reduce Europe's support for Ukraine is “a valuable morsel for Russian propagandists” because it reduces support for Ukraine.
Olena Czuranowa from the Ukrainian factchecking STOPFAKE service, commenting on PAP for Russian surgery, reminded that Russia always uses the term “provocation” when it wants to organize an operation under a false flagarouse anxiety among the population or slander Ukraine.
– For example, a lot of false information about the allegedly prepared Ukrainian provocation in Donbas appeared before the Russian Full -Defense Russian invasion of Ukraine – said Czuranowa and added that Russian propagandists also publicized the cases of provocation using chemical weapons allegedly planned by the Ukrainian army.
According to an expert from Stopfake, the Russians always try to create “facts” supporting their false narrative on such occasions. According to her, something like this was a film from Azovstal's Ukrainian soldiers defended fiercely, where Russian propagandists found a “laboratory” with chemical weapons.
Prof. Baecker emphasized that although it could only be “one of the cheapest Russian propaganda operations”, because “provocateurs” will probably give up after their plans were “disclosed”, one cannot underestimate the need to protect critical infrastructure objects in Poland.
– The fact that the Russian intelligence service warns us about such subversive actions on the Ukrainian side does not mean that the Russians themselves will not do it – the expert assessed and reminded that Russian services have already organized e.g. arson of commercial facilities in Poland.
Anna Gwozdowska (PAP)
AG/ BST/ MHR/
