On the night of September 9 to 10, at least 19 Russian drones infiltrated Polish airspace, leading to a response from NATO fighter jets that shot down several of these aerial threats. The incursion has sparked a disinformation campaign online, featuring a pro-Russian narrative that seeks to undermine the reported events. This tug-of-war over information intensified following Poland’s State Protection Service announcement regarding a drone’s neutralization over government buildings in Warsaw on September 15. Pro-Russian accounts on social media have actively claimed that damage caused to a house in the eastern village of Wyryki-Wola was not the result of a drone crash but rather due to prior storm damage, attempting to mislead public perception.
The owners of the damaged house, Alicja and Tomasz Wesolowski, recount watching TV when their home was struck, directly contradicting the disinformation narrative. Initial media reports attributed the destruction to a drone; however, local authorities later suggested the cause could be debris from downed drones, creating a fog of uncertainty. Polish daily Rzeczpospolita noted that the Lublin prosecutor’s office had not confirmed whether the damage originated from a drone or its fragments, leading to further speculation. Some reports hinted that a missile from a Polish F-16, utilized to engage the drones, could have impacted the house, although these claims remain unverified by official entities.
Poland’s authorities have condemned the drone incursion as a “deliberate Russian provocation,” aimed at testing NATO’s responses. NATO has not clarified whether the incursion was intentional, but affirmed that Russian actions constituted a violation of their airspace. Poland rejected US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that it might have been an accident and pointed out that the Kremlin has dismissed Polish claims as “myths” designed to escalate tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Speculation arose regarding the type of drones used; Polish military officials suggested that Gerbera drones were among the intruders, and experts noted that such drones, while less potent against military targets, can indeed cause significant damage to civilian structures.
Amid the confusion, several narratives emerged online suggesting that Ukraine had orchestrated the drone incursion with Poland as part of a broader strategy to justify military involvement in Ukraine. Supporters of this theory included Polish far-right figures who posited that the Gerbera drones might have been launched from Ukrainian territory, despite Polish officials indicating some drones originated from Belarus. Explaining drone operations, experts indicated that Gerbera drones have a maximum operational range of around 600 kilometers, implying their use may not necessarily indicate a direct launch from Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk firmly rejected the theory linking Ukraine to the drone incursion, attributing full responsibility to Russia. This disinformation campaign ties into broader narratives that frame Poland as seeking justification for deploying troops in Ukraine, a notion further fueled by evolving media reports on military cooperation between Poland and Ukraine. Following reports that Poland would send military personnel for drone combat training in Ukraine, backlash ensued due to previous statements denying troop deployments. The Ministry of Defence later clarified that the plans involved joint training on Polish soil rather than foreign troop commitments, underscoring the swirling chaos of misinformation.
As disinformation proliferates, the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs has noted a surge in activities by Russian and Belarusian services aimed at deflecting responsibility for the airspace violation onto Ukraine. The incidents highlight the complexity of the information landscape amid escalating geopolitical tensions, where narratives can rapidly shift and obscure the facts. Ensuring the veracity of claims made in such an environment is crucial for all parties involved to maintain stability and clarity in the face of ongoing threats. The interplay of military actions and disinformation erupts not only as a challenge to national security but also as a broader test of public trust and media integrity in the digital age.
