Disinformation Campaign Falsely Claims Ukrainian Food Poses Danger in Poland

Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets Ukrainian Food Products in Poland

A coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Ukrainian food products has emerged on Polish social media, according to a recent report from the Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD) of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

The campaign, spreading rapidly through Facebook’s Polish-language communities, urges consumers to boycott all products bearing the “482” barcode prefix—the standard European Article Number (EAN) designation for goods manufactured in Ukraine. False claims assert that “all Ukrainian products are contaminated” and pose health risks to consumers.

According to the CPD, these manipulative posts deliberately exploit isolated quality control incidents to create a misleading impression about the safety of Ukrainian goods as a whole. Analysts note that while some individual product batches from various countries occasionally fail to meet quality standards, the disinformation campaign intentionally presents these isolated cases as evidence of systematic problems with all Ukrainian exports.

“Polish regulatory institutions routinely issue warnings about specific products that don’t meet standards, regardless of country of origin,” a CPD spokesperson explained. “The sweeping generalization that ‘all Ukrainian food is poisonous’ represents a classic disinformation technique designed to damage trade relations and foster mistrust.”

The timing of this campaign is significant, coming amid already strained agricultural relations between the two neighboring countries. Polish farmers have previously protested against Ukrainian agricultural imports, citing concerns about market competition since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted normal export routes.

Market analysts suggest that damaging Ukrainian food product reputation in Poland could have substantial economic implications. Poland represents one of Ukraine’s most important European trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching approximately $10.7 billion in 2022 despite the ongoing conflict. Food and agricultural products constitute a significant portion of this trade volume.

The CPD has identified this barcode manipulation as part of a broader anti-Ukrainian information campaign that has gained momentum in Poland since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Security experts believe the ultimate objective extends beyond economic damage.

“This disinformation fits perfectly into the Kremlin’s strategic information warfare playbook for Poland,” noted the CPD report. “The goal is threefold: undermine Polish-Ukrainian trust, inflame hostility between our nations, and ultimately pressure Warsaw’s political leadership to reconsider its robust support for Ukraine.”

This is not the first Russian disinformation effort targeting Polish-Ukrainian relations. In October, Russian intelligence services allegedly spread false claims about Ukraine preparing an attack on Polish territory, apparently aiming to fracture NATO solidarity. The Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs responded by urging citizens to exercise critical thinking and verify information sources before sharing content online.

Security experts point out that Russia has consistently employed information warfare tactics targeting Poland-Ukraine relations as part of its broader strategy to isolate Ukraine from its Western supporters. The focus on food safety exploits universal consumer concerns while potentially disrupting Ukraine’s export economy, already under pressure from the war.

Polish and Ukrainian officials have jointly called for increased vigilance regarding suspicious social media campaigns, emphasizing the importance of information verification in combating foreign influence operations. The Polish government’s response has included a public awareness campaign with the slogan “Let’s not allow Putin to divide us,” highlighting the geopolitical stakes of these information battles.

As the conflict continues, both countries’ cybersecurity agencies have pledged enhanced cooperation to monitor and counter disinformation efforts targeting bilateral relations.