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Climate change, refugees from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, Ukrainians in Poland, and previously, COVID vaccinations—any issue that can arouse strong emotions and divide people is exploited by Moscow. As research conducted in recent months indicates, pro-Russian communication channels have significantly infiltrated the Internet and social media platforms in Poland and Eastern European countries. These channels exploit various digital tools to manipulate public opinion, spread disinformation, and sow discord. The primary methods include the use of bots, fake accounts, and coordinated inauthentic behavior to amplify misleading narratives and create the illusion of widespread support or opposition to certain viewpoints.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube are frequently targeted due to their extensive user base and the rapid dissemination of information they facilitate. Pro-Russian entities often create and spread sensationalist content designed to go viral, leveraging algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy. Russian propaganda poses a significant threat to the political stability and social cohesion of Poland and other EU countries. Utilizing a sophisticated blend of disinformation, psychological manipulation, and strategic narratives, pro-Russian communication channels aim to influence public opinion and undermine trust in democratic institutions. For now, there is little evidence that Poland knows how to defend itself against these tactics.
Believe me - Putin is a hero!
The scale of Russian propaganda in Poland is substantial. A study by OKO.press highlighted the presence of an extensive network of websites and social media accounts dedicated to disseminating pro-Russian content. This network often masquerades as legitimate news sources, making it difficult for the average reader to distinguish between fact and fiction. The propaganda campaigns are sophisticated, involving a mix of truthful information, half-truths, and outright falsehoods, which makes debunking them particularly challenging.
To investigate the influence of Russian propaganda on Polish public opinion, OKO.press journalists analyzed 4,200 entries on the X platform, posted in June 2024 by pro-Russian profiles. These accounts were selected based on three criteria: they frequently disseminated tweets from former Polish judge Tomasz Szmydt, who fled to Belarus in May and faces espionage charges; they provided links to fake websites mimicking two Polish media outlets: weekly magazine "Polityka" and Polish Public Radio; and they consistently retweeted specific authors known for pro-Russian content. The analysis focused on a curated set of accounts whose pro-Russian nature was unequivocal.
Twenty-one percent of tweets from these profiles focused on migration, with some referencing the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border. The majority portrayed Black and Muslim migrants negatively, often using videos from other parts of the world, many of which were created years earlier. 15,6 percent of entries pertained to the war in Ukraine, presenting the conflict from a Russian perspective, highlighting the successes of the Russian military and the failures of Ukrainian forces, while ignoring Russian setbacks on the front lines. Interestingly, the third most popular topic in June was the promotion of Russia, particularly Vladimir Putin. The President of the Russian Federation was depicted as a hero, a liberator of Europe from Nazism, and a global leader expanding his sphere of influence.
Don’t you think Poland should get rid of Ukrainians?
Russian propaganda extends far beyond spreading false information on platforms like X and Facebook. These disinformation campaigns have grown increasingly sophisticated, employing tactics such as deepfake and manipulated videos to distort reality, undermine trust in media and institutions, exacerbate political and social tensions, and promote pro-Russian narratives.
In recent months, recordings surfaced in Kremlin media where Russian propagandists duped two former Polish presidents, Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Bronisław Komorowski. Vovan and Lexus, comedians Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexander Stolyarov, are adept at impersonating well-known figures. They have previously deceived global leaders like Angela Merkel, Georgia Meloni, Kamala Harris, Recep Erdoğan, and Polish President Andrzej Duda. This time, they impersonated Petro Poroshenko and attempted to provoke the Polish politicians into making statements that could be used for Russian propaganda.
The fake Poroshenko suggested to the former Polish presidents that they should consider relinquishing the Lviv Oblast, tried to trick Kwaśniewski into admitting that the EU attempted to remove Viktor Yanukovych from power in 2012, and sought to elicit extreme opinions about Jarosław Kaczyński. These manipulative efforts aimed to influence the opinions of Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian citizens. Both former presidents, however, demonstrated caution and did not allow themselves to be provoked.
In a conversation with Belsat, Aleksander Kwaśniewski revealed that Petro Poroshenko connected with him using the Zoom application. "Poroshenko looked like he was alive," Kwaśniewski said, suggesting that deepfake software was likely used to alter the voice and appearance of the interlocutor. Kwaśniewski emphasized that he reported his suspicions about the authenticity of the conversation to Polish authorities and urged others to exercise caution in similar situations.
There are other methods of obtaining materials that can later be used for propaganda purposes. Recently, Polish companies involved in public opinion polls have received requests from unidentified contractors. These requests, often sent via Gmail, asked for surveys on Poles' opinions about Russians and Ukrainians, containing highly biased questions. "Rzeczpospolita" daily newspaper reported that the contractors offered payments 200-300 percent higher than market rates. The email footers contained false addresses and phone numbers, with the supposed payer countries being the Netherlands and France.
"Unfortunately, I have no doubt that there will be someone willing to conduct such research. Asking methodologically wrong questions is not a crime, and the high rates offered for conducting surveys stimulate the imagination," said Marcin Duma, president of the Institute of Market and Social Research IBRiS foundation.
Fictitious contractors demanded that Poles be asked tendentious questions such as "What annoy you about Ukrainians?", "Should Poland get rid of Ukrainians?", "Shouldn't the EU stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, thereby exposing its citizens to danger?" and "Shouldn't Russia take more radical steps to finally end the war?" Representatives of Polish research companies believe that Russian or Belarusian secret services are behind this, and the nature of the questions indicates a desire to use the answers to destabilize the situation in Poland. The head of cybersecurity at HackerU Polska suspects this is another phase of hostile disinformation operations. "They may undermine society's trust," says Maciej Cieśla.
"Geopolitical tensions in our part of Europe significantly increase cybercriminal activity, placing Poland among the countries particularly exposed to these threats," said Jakub Wychowański, a cybersecurity expert and president of VECTO, a company specializing in data and IT systems protection. "While incidents involving critical and government infrastructure often involve Russian or Belarusian hacker groups, the problem is much broader," he added.
Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that last year 80,000 hostile incidents targeting Poland were registered in cyberspace. He warned that this year the number could double. In early July, the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Poland's main national news outlet, fell victim to a Russian hacker attack. A false information was published twice on the PAP website with the headline: "Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland Donald Tusk: partial mobilization will begin in Poland on July 1, 2024." This misinformation aimed to cause panic. The message was quickly removed, and the agency clarified that PAP was not the source of the text. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski pointed to Russia as the source of the attack, admitting that "every day, we manage to prevent similar attacks on critical infrastructure in Poland. But there will be more, we have no doubts. Their number increased by over 100% before the elections," he said.
Despite this, Prime Minister Tusk signed an order maintaining the alert level for cyberspace at BRAVO-CRP, the second level on a four-point scale.
I assure you, climate change is good for us
NATO has published a new report outlining the Russian government's efforts to disseminate disinformation aimed at sabotaging green investments, undermining political will for climate action, and ensuring continued Western reliance on fossil fuels. The report highlights a rise in Russian disinformation campaigns related to the European green energy transition, observed on social media and online news platforms. As a significant producer of oil and gas, Russia has a vested interest in delaying the shift to renewable energy sources.
The NATO report cites, among other factors, the actions of Russian state media, which casts doubt on climate change, downplays its threat, and even highlights purported "positive" aspects. "They depict global warming as a 'hoax' and emissions reduction plans as a form of 'Western imperialism' intended to weaken the economies of developing countries," the document states. NATO observes that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been a "significant increase in Russian disinformation related to Europe's green energy transition." In response to the invasion, the EU has not only moved to sever its reliance on Russian fuels but has also accelerated its transition away from oil and gas toward clean energy sources.
The Alliance conducted an analysis of the information landscape from 2022 to 2024. The findings? Russia has been identified as a "main factor" driving attacks on the green transition across social media and the internet. Social media accounts operated by the Russian government are working to politicize global warming, increasing polarization and influencing public debate in both Western and developing countries. These accounts also employ personal attacks against climate activists and disseminate disinformation about protests.
"Russia and other NATO adversaries use climate disinformation to sow division, delay action, and cynically undermine public understanding of climate change, which puts people at risk during climate-exacerbated disasters," said Kate Cell, a senior climate campaign manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Delayed decisions of the Polish government
"The concept of disinformation involves the deliberate spread of false or misleading information, which can then take on a life of its own, often being transmitted via social media, sometimes even in good faith," says Bartek Cieszewski, a solutions architect at Secfense, a company within the Bitspiration Booster fund portfolio. "Disinformation doesn't have a single purpose, but it always poses a serious threat to various aspects of social and political life. It can negatively impact the economy, public mood, and even public health. When employed in information wars, it can even threaten national security," he adds, emphasizing that education is a fundamental tool in combating disinformation. Identifying false information is challenging, particularly in an era where it is often consumed in brief snippets. "Therefore, it is crucial to cross-check information from multiple sources and verify it before sharing," he advises. "Ultimately, nothing can replace common sense and a basic verification of information sources before disseminating them."
It is hard to accuse the Polish government of underestimating the threat of Russian propaganda. However, two and a half years after the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it decided to initiate an international effort in Warsaw in June 2024 to counter Russian disinformation.
The Ukraine Communications Group initiative unites partner countries and international organizations, including Finland, France, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, the United States, Sweden, Ukraine, NATO, and the European External Action Service (EEAS). Its goal is to enhance coordination in effectively countering Moscow's propaganda. "The Kremlin regularly employs lies and manipulation to undermine our solidarity with the Ukrainian people as they defend their homeland. This group aims to combat misleading narratives about Russian aggression against Ukraine and promote a fact-based approach in the global information landscape. The launch of the Ukraine Communications Group sends a strong signal of our collective resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion," the official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads.
Experts are unanimous: a move in the right direction, but much too late.
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