The warning from Kyiv

Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD) warned on Saturday that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) plans to publish forged documents on 5 July concerning World War II events, specifically the Volhynia tragedy. CPD head Andriy Kovalenko stated that the operation aims to weaken Polish-Ukrainian relations. He named FSB director Alexander Bortnikov as responsible for the disinformation campaign.

“FSB director Alexander Bortnikov is currently in charge of Russian (dis)information operations aimed at driving a wedge between Poland and Ukraine. FSB officers plan to publish forged documents on 5 July concerning World War II events, specifically the Volhynia tragedy, in an attempt to weaken Polish-Ukrainian relations.”

Kovalenko added that Russian state media have already been instructed to amplify the false narrative as widely as possible. The documents have not yet been published, and independent verification of the planned operation is not possible at this stage.

A diplomatic crisis over history

The warning lands in the middle of a sharp deterioration in Polish-Ukrainian ties. In late May, President Volodymyr Zelensky named one of Ukraine's elite military units after the "Heroes of the UPA" (Ukrainian Insurgent Army). The decision drew immediate condemnation across Poland's political spectrum, including from Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and the foreign ministry.

On 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced he was revoking the Order of the White Eagle from Zelensky. The Ukrainian president returned the decoration by courier the following day. A United Surveys poll for Wirtualna Polska found that nearly 70 percent of Poles considered the courier return offensive to Poland.

Zelensky's response

During a recent visit to Dublin, Zelensky was asked whether the dispute could hinder Ukraine's EU accession. He replied that Poland and Ukraine "share history" and that, like most European neighbours, they had problems in the past. "We live now and we are dealing with one aggressor," he said, adding that both countries must think about security. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is ready to answer any questions and described the two nations as "strong neighbours and good friends."

“We are neighbours and, like most countries in Europe, we had problems in the past. But we live now and we are dealing with one aggressor. We must think about security.”

The Volhynia fault line

The UPA remains one of the most contentious issues in Polish-Ukrainian relations. Polish historians describe the July 1943 coordinated attacks by UPA units on around 150 Polish villages in Volhynia as the culmination of a genocide. Many Ukrainian historians and politicians, however, view the events as part of a broader Polish-Ukrainian conflict for which both sides bear responsibility, and see the OUN and UPA as symbols of the fight for independence and post-war resistance against the Soviet Union.

Broader information warfare

Polish officials had already signalled that Russia was exploiting real bilateral tensions. On 1 July, coordinator of special services Tomasz Siemoniak said the information war against Poland had been moved to a much higher level in recent weeks, targeting the Polish internet and amplifying existing conflicts. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz also addressed Russian provocations at a joint press conference, with Sikorski directly warning Vladimir Putin: "We know what you are planning. Don't do it."