On August 16, around 5:00 PM, a cyberattack was carried out on the website of the Radio PiK station in Bydgoszcz. Hackers gained access to the site and published a false article that created the impression that Poland intended to seize part of the territory of the Czech Republic. The article was titled: "Czech media: Poland plans to seize Czech territory – document obtained by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs." ## ## Hacker Attack The editor-in-chief of Radio PiK, Cezary Wojtczak, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that cybercriminals hacked the service by obtaining the password of one of the employees. The case is being handled by the Central Bureau of Cybercrime. The radio removed the false publication and informed the public about the attack that had occurred. According to information provided to PAP by the Scientific and Academic Computer Network (NASK) – a state research institute, even before the Radio PiK website was hacked, fake messages about crossing the Polish-Czech border began to appear on social media. Meanwhile, the cybersecurity portal CyberDefence24 drew attention to an account impersonating the Czech ambassador to Poland, Brzetislav Dančak. The profile featured a photo of a document allegedly issued by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its content suggested that Warsaw demanded the annexation of part of Czech territory to Poland. The document turned out to be fake and was apparently generated using artificial intelligence. One of the signals indicating its inauthenticity is the last phrase, which mixes Czech and Polish languages. The account impersonating the Czech ambassador also spread an AI-generated video. In the material, a person presented as Dančak allegedly speaks out against Polish territorial claims. Messages also appeared online from profiles impersonating Artur Harazim, Deputy Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of the fake accounts attempted to further reinforce the narrative by publishing an alleged "correction" regarding the size of the disputed territories. The message claimed that the disputed territory was 368.44 hectares, not 638.44 hectares, as previously stated by another participant in the disinformation campaign. Such actions may employ a mechanism known as reverse fact-checking. This involves simulating the verification of previously received information, which can create the impression that the published content comes from a reliable source and has been verified. According to NASK, the published materials indicate that one of the main goals of the campaign was to incite tension between Poles and Czechs by using a real, potentially contentious issue regarding the border crossing. ## History of the Dispute over 368 Hectares The 368 hectares mentioned in the disinformation campaign refer to a real dispute related to the establishment of the Polish-Czechoslovak border after World War II. According to the Czech news agency CTK, Poland then claimed parts of Zaolzie, now located in the Czech Republic, as well as the Spiš and Orava regions, located in modern Slovakia. Ultimately, under pressure from Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, both countries agreed to a solution aimed at establishing the most direct and shortest border possible. According to CTK, the final demarcation of the border was carried out in 1958. Its length was reduced by approximately 80 kilometers, and changes affected 85 sections. After comparing the land gained and lost by both sides, it was found that Czechoslovakia received approximately 368 hectares more in total.
