AI-generated deepfake videos of Polish soldiers used in disinformation campaign
Videos of AI-generated Polish soldiers criticizing Ukraine and the European Union circulated on social media in July 2026. Analysis by Polish and Ukrainian authorities suggested the operation was linked to Russian disinformation activities, and social media platforms removed some associated accounts.
What happened
Videos circulated on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram in July 2026 portraying AI-generated Polish soldiers criticizing Ukraine, the European Union and the Polish government. The fake soldiers commented on the Wołyń massacre, claimed rising crime in Poland was caused by refugees, and used derogatory terms for Ukrainians such as 'Saszki' and 'Szoszończyki'.
Analysis by NASK revealed linguistic calques, accidental use of Cyrillic script, and uniforms characteristic of Russia and Belarus, suggesting the operation was linked to Russian influence activities. One YouTube profile published over 50 such videos, with the most popular receiving nearly 300,000 views before some accounts were removed.
Reported impact
The Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation and NASK warned that the false content could be part of a Russian propaganda operation aimed at sowing discord between Poland and Ukraine and stoking anti-immigrant sentiment in Poland.
Index analysis
The deepfake videos exploited AI-based video generation to create convincing but fabricated statements attributed to Polish military personnel. The campaign targeted multiple social media platforms and reached significant audiences before detection.
Governance controls
Social media platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram removed some accounts associated with the campaign following the public warnings issued by NASK and the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation on 21 July 2026.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.