Barlinek on the attack on the factory in Ukraine: It is also an element of information warfare

Following the airstrike on the Barlinek factory in Ukraine, comments spreading false information that undermines the credibility of the Polish company appeared on social media, the company's management said in a statement on Thursday. It believes this is part of an information war.

"Following the drone attack on the Polish Barlinek factory in Ukraine, a wave of comments spreading disinformation about the nature of the attack and the company's operations began on social media. In our opinion, this is part of an information war intended to distract public attention from the destruction of another Polish factory during this war," the management board emphasized in a statement.

The management noted that some users "unintentionally or intentionally" repeat false or manipulated information that justifies the destruction of a civilian facility and undermines the credibility of a Polish company and "a brand that has existed for several decades."

The statement cited posts on Polish- and Russian-language profiles that falsely suggested—as the management noted—that the Barlinek factory attacked by Russian missiles was not a civilian facility because it engaged in military production. Some of these posts claimed that the attack was a Ukrainian provocation aimed at drawing Poland into the war. Some of the comments cited in the statement also pointed out that Barlinek is not a Polish company.

Barlinek is a Polish company and the world's largest manufacturer of three-layer wooden floors. It has never conducted, and does not conduct, any business related to the defense industry. Barlinek SA owns a capital group consisting of manufacturing companies in Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Croatia, as well as sales companies in Germany and the USA, among others. In Poland alone, the company employs over 2,200 people and is headquartered in Kielce, Barlinek's management stated.

As noted in the announcement, Barlinek, as a Polish tax resident, settles all taxes due in Poland, including those on profits from international operations carried out by its subsidiaries, including in Ukraine.

"Contrary to information appearing in the public domain, Barlinek SA does not and has not transferred any funds to Luxembourg for the purpose of reducing taxes. Barlinek has been owned since 1999 by a Pole, Michał Sołowow, who is also an Austrian citizen, through his Austrian company," the statement read.

According to information provided by Barlinek's management, the company pays approximately PLN 120 million in taxes and public contributions annually in Poland. Over the past five years, the company has invested over PLN 1 billion in the country.

On July 16, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that Russian drones had struck the Barlinek Group factory in Vinnytsia. That same day, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed a representative of the Russian Embassy that the attack on the Barlinek factory in Vinnytsia, a Polish-owned company engaged exclusively in civilian production, was a violation of international law. The company itself stated that due to significant losses, it did not anticipate resuming production for at least six months.

Barlinek is one of the largest wood flooring manufacturers in Europe. The plant in Winnica is one of the group's three production facilities. The company is owned by businessman Michał Sołowow. (PAP)

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