On 18 April, a fictional memo for Polish soldiers began to circulate on social media. It contains 15 points to be observed in contacts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The clues there are absurd. It seems to be a form of joke. However, many social media users view them as credible, replicating content further.
False
More about our evaluation system:A note circulating on social networks rapidly began to gain more and more coverage. It was provided by profiles known for replicating Russian propaganda. 1 of them was Independent Political JournalA fewer years ago We've identified as an component of the Cremol influence machine. It besides reached the telegram group The Guardians of Freedom is Facebook.
Source: telegram.orgIs this a real note for Polish soldiers?
At first glance, the note raises large doubts. It does not contain any information about who created it. The authoritative paper presented to soldiers of the Polish Army would contain appropriate signatures and information on who is liable for its creation. In addition, the memo contains as ludicrous guidelines as those concerning learning the national anthem of Ukraine, smiling or not paying attention to UPA symbols. However, any limit of absurdity exceeds the point of ignoring the murders or rape allegedly carried out by Ukrainian soldiers. All this indicates that most likely we are dealing with trolling aimed at undermining the credibility of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.
In view of the situation, we addressed the General Staff of the Polish Army to find out if this kind of memo was actually distributed among Polish soldiers. Our enquiry was redirected to the Press Division of the Operations Centre of the Minister of National Defence. The answer we have received is clear:
We deny that soldiers of the Polish Army receive specified instructions from their superiors. This is another absurd material entering Russia/Belarus' aggressive disinformation activities in the information environment, especially in social media.
According to our suspicions, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland have nothing to do with the memo circulating on social media. It should be considered part of the Russian impact operation and clearly identified as false.
Summary
Let the second part of the answer we have received from the Ministry of Defence be utilized as a summary of this text:
In the current geopolitical situation and the ongoing war in Ukraine, we consistently call on representatives of the media and social media users to be peculiarly careful erstwhile disseminating information, publishing videos and photos of military equipment. They are frequently transmitted by the Russian side, which conducts propaganda-disinformation action, so it is all the more crucial to pay peculiar attention to the reliability of information in the information space, utilizing only reliable sources.
Source:
Correspondence with the Press Department of the Operations Centre of the Minister of National Defence
