The Embassy of Ukraine in Poland has warned that false and manipulative information is being spread on social media regarding the speech of Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar during this year’s commemoration of the Volyn tragedy held in Chełm on July 11.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Embassy made this statement on Facebook.
“We draw your attention to the fact that false and manipulative information is circulating on social media regarding the speech delivered by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, Mr. Vasyl Bodnar, during the ceremony honoring the victims of the Volyn tragedy in Chełm. Claims about the duration of the speech have already been debunked in the media,” the statement reads.
The Embassy noted that on Monday, July 14, the full recording of the speech was broadcast by Republika TV, which had filmed the event on site.
“We would like to emphasize that when dealing with such important and sensitive topics, the use of verified and credible information is especially crucial,” the statement added.
For his part, Ambassador Bodnar posted a video of his speech in Chełm on the social media platform X, stating that he was doing so because “manipulation and lies” were being spread about it. The footage shows that the speech lasted several minutes — contrary to the false claim that it was only several seconds long.
In recent days, Polish social media have been actively spreading fake news that Ambassador Bodnar spoke for only 16 seconds during the ceremony. A manipulated video showing only the final few sentences of the diplomat’s speech was viewed tens of thousands of times on social media. Some members of the Polish Sejm also shared the clip along with negative commentary.
Fact-checkers from the online outlet Tvn24.pl provided a detailed breakdown of the manipulation surrounding Ambassador Bodnar’s speech.
As reported by Ukrinform, the newly elected President of Poland, Head of the Institute of National Remembrance, Karol Nawrocki, during the 82nd anniversary of the tragic events in Volyn officially commemorated in Poland on July 11, urged the Ukrainian authorities to “systematically address” the issue of granting permission for search and exhumation efforts related to the victims of the tragedy.
Source: Ukrainian Embassy debunks false claims about Ambassador Bodnar’s speech in Poland
