How Polish fur farming businessmen operating a big mink farm in Russia and at the same time organizes high-profile, anti-EU demonstrations in Poland and Brussels.
WARSAW (Vsquare) – A prominent Polish fur farming family is under scrutiny for operating a mink farm in Russia’s Kaliningrad region while simultaneously organizing anti-EU protests in Europe, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and sanction evasion.
The Wójcik family, known for their extensive mink farming operations in Poland, has been importing millions of euros worth of mink pelts from Russia to Poland, even after the outbreak of the Ukraine war. This continued until international sanctions slowed their business in early 2023.
Szczepan Wójcik, the public face of the family enterprise, has been actively lobbying against EU environmental regulations and organizing farmers’ protests in Poland and Brussels. Meanwhile, his brother Wojciech Wójcik has been quietly managing a mink farm near Kaliningrad, benefiting from Russian state subsidies.
The Wójciks’ business practices have raised eyebrows among EU officials and animal rights activists. Critics argue that the family’s operations in Russia, coupled with their anti-EU activism, could potentially serve Russian interests by sowing discord within the EU.
The family’s influence extends beyond fur farming. They have connections to Polish politicians, including members of the Law and Justice party and the far-right Confederation. Szczepan Wójcik also controls media outlets and think tanks that consistently criticize EU environmental policies.
At the same time, propaganda content from Farmer’s World – one of the outlets controlled by Szczepan Wójcik, is further fed by channels on Telegram, known for spreading anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian disinformation.
