Poland has identified a group linked to Russia's intelligence services that is spreading disinformation in an effort to influence its upcoming presidential election. The Polish government plans to
unveil a strategy later this month to counter such activities.
Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski revealed to TVN on Friday that a Russian group, allegedly guided by the GRU (Russian military intelligence), was detected. He stated that their objective is to interfere with Poland's elections by disseminating false information and recruiting individuals to propagate divisive content aimed at disrupting the country’s political landscape.
In an interview with Polsat News, Gawkowski, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, disclosed that Poland's security services are registering thousands of incidents daily, leading to hundreds of interventions to curb the spread of disinformation. “Russia is not waging a cold cyberwar against Poland but a warm one,” he asserted, emphasizing that Poland is the most frequently targeted country in the European Union.
Later this month, Gawkowski’s ministry will propose measures to safeguard the presidential election, scheduled for May.
The issue of foreign interference was also highlighted last week by Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who warned that external influence on Polish elections is illegal. Gawkowski added that while public figures like Elon Musk can express opinions on elections as free speech, manipulating algorithms to sway voter outcomes would constitute unlawful interference.
Poland has consistently accused Russia of engaging in “hybrid warfare,” including disinformation campaigns, acts of sabotage, and exacerbating the migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. Last September, Gawkowski and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak reported dismantling a Russian and Belarusian-linked sabotage group that targeted Polish institutions. Around the same time, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russian-linked social media accounts were spreading disinformation to incite panic during deadly floods in Poland.