"Did a Ukraine admirer shoot people in Krakow"? Russian disinformation in action

On November 7, 2026, Michał Oksiński killed nine people in Poland before dying in a hospital. Despite being a Polish citizen with no military background, Russian sources attempted to link him to Ukraine through fabricated narratives, including a patch on his tactical vest. This patch, associated with the pirate Blackbeard, was falsely claimed to connect him to American mercenaries in Ukraine. Additionally, a photo purportedly showing Oksiński with a Ukrainian flag was confirmed to be AI-generated. Former Polish judge Tomasz Szmydt propagated these false claims, suggesting Oksiński had combat experience in Ukraine without evidence. The disinformation aimed to create divisions between Poles and Ukrainians.