Fact check: Russian media spread false claims about alleged coup plans by Poland in Belarus

When it comes to the war of aggression in Ukraine, headlines about neighboring Belarus keep coming to the fore: official reports that Russian tactical nuclear weapons are stationed in the country, and also rumors about the health of 68-year-old Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. And most recently, Russian state media went one better: “Poland has confirmed information about the West preparing a coup in Belarus”, reported Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Wednesday, May 24. The claim was quickly followed by other Russian and Belarusian taken over by the media, modified in terms of content and disseminated. That was the headline of another Russian one Newspaper shortly thereafter: “Polish General Plans to Organize and Support Armed Coup in Belarus”.

One Twitter user went even further and wrote in English: “The West is preparing an armed coup in Belarus with the support of the Polish army”. These alleged plans would also support Lukashenko’s statement in a speech in March that the West wanted to invade and destroy Belarus.

Lukashenko and Peskov are reacting to alleged coup plans

And even Alexander Lukashenko personal and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov followed the media echo and reacted to the alleged statements from Poland. The Belarusian ruler saw his earlier statements about the danger from the West confirmed, described the Polish general as “sick” and said he was ready for a possible uprising in Belarus. Peskov for his part designated Poland as an “enemy state”, accused Warsaw of hysterical Russophobia and intentional interference, and asserted that Russia would protect Belarus from “such an obvious threat”.

But what does the claim that the West is preparing for an uprising in Belarus really mean? And what role does an alleged Polish general play in this? The DW fact check team verified the claim.

Claim: “Polish General Skrzypczak confirmed information about the West preparing a coup in Belarus”, RIA Novosti reported, allegedly citing statements by a Polish general named Waldemar Skrzypczak in an interview with Polsat News. “Poland is preparing for the armed coup in Belarus and to participate in its support through military means”, said Skrzypczak supposedly.

DW fact check: Incorrect.

Actually commented Skrzypczak, who by the way is already a retired general, reported on May 23 in the Polsat News program Gość Wydarzeń the events in Belgorod, Russia. Skrzypczak said he sees the events in Belgorod as a first signal that he hopes will spread to other parts of Russian territory. “And hopefully also on part of Belarusian territory,” added the retired general. By that he means that he personally hopes that the partisans will advance further into Russia and also into Belarus.

Furthermore, Skrzypczak expressed a prognosis for the case of the successful Ukrainian counter-offensive, which has been talked about again and again recently. The Belarusians, who are part of the Ukrainian army and fought against the Russians, will not lay down their arms but will go to Belarus, the retired general said. And he added: “I hope that this will trigger an uprising in Belarus”. By these Belarusians, Skrzypczak probably means the hundreds of volunteers from the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment who are fighting on the Ukrainian side. These Belarusians fled their homes after the Lukashenko regime crushed mass protests in the country in 2020.

Skrzypczak expresses his own opinion

When asked by the moderator how one should behave in the event of such an “internal war” in Belarus, Waldemar Skrzypczak replied: “We should prepare for it now! […] I think now is the time to prepare for it. It will happen”. So the retired Polish general neither said that Poland or the West were preparing an armed coup in Belarus, nor did he call for initiating one. Skrzypczak merely emphasized that, in his opinion, there will be an uprising in Belarus, for which Poland should prepare.

In the further course of the TV interview, the Polish general did not explain what he specifically meant by preparation. For example, he only describes that the partisans who fought in Belgorod were equipped and trained. At the same time, he described the reasons why Poland should be ready “to support the troops that will conduct operations against Lukashenko”. Skrzypczak referred to the state of emergency on the Polish-Belarusian border in summer and autumn 2021. After the West tightened its sanctions against Belarus, the Belarusian ruler Lukashenko announced in May 2021 that he would no longer prevent migrants from continuing their journey to the EU. Thousands of migrants tried to cross the EU border from Belarus to Poland.

And when asked what such a Belarusian uprising in Poland could trigger, Waldemar Skrzypczak spoke of Belarusians who would then flee to Poland: “If there will be an uprising in Belarus, and we have to prepare for it, then there will be an exodus of Give people from Belarus to northern Poland.”

When asked by DW, a spokesman for Poland’s defense ministry said the retired general’s statements were “merely the private opinion” of Skrzypczak. In addition, the press department pointed out that Skrzypczak is not an adviser to the Ministry of Defense and does not hold any positions in the ministry.

Assistance: Kathrin Wesolowski