Poland Battles Russian & Belarusian Election Interference

Kremlin-Linked Disinformation Campaigns Targeted May Presidential Vote

Poland’s recent presidential election faced a significant wave of foreign interference, as Russia and Belarus orchestrated a coordinated effort to spread false information, erode public trust, and sway the outcome of the vote. The attacks highlight a growing trend of hybrid warfare tactics employed by these nations.

Intensified Russian Activity

Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister, stated that the country experienced “unprecedented” attempts by Russia to meddle in the election. These included disinformation campaigns and attacks on critical infrastructure intended to disrupt essential services. He also revealed that Russian military intelligence activity within Poland had doubled compared to the previous year.

Between January and mid-May, Poland’s Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK) identified over 10,000 social media accounts actively disseminating disinformation aimed at influencing the election. Approximately 400 of these accounts were linked to the Social Design Agency, a Russian organization sanctioned by the EU for its involvement in disinformation operations.

While NASK refrained from disclosing the specific candidate targeted, the disinformation materials mirrored narratives promoted by Russian state media. Identical messaging and visuals also appeared on Telegram channels previously identified as hubs for Russian disinformation.

Belarusian Involvement & EU Response

A report by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) and Alliance4Europe detailed how Radio Belarus, the Polish-language branch of Belarus’s state broadcaster, ran a digital influence campaign to discredit the Polish election. Utilizing platforms like TikTok, YouTube, X, and Facebook, the broadcaster questioned the vote’s legitimacy, endorsed certain candidates, and attacked others.

Martyna Hoffman, a co-author of the DFRLab report, noted that TikTok proactively blocked access to Radio Belarus’s harmful content in Poland, but YouTube’s response was limited to standard rejections of user reports. Belarus, widely considered a Russian satellite state, has consistently supported the Kremlin’s disinformation efforts.

According to a recent report by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), disinformation campaigns have increased by 400% across Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine. (ENISA, 2024)

Poland’s Countermeasures & Ongoing Threats

The EU responded by banning 18 media outlets accused of spreading Kremlin-backed narratives and unveiled a new sanctions package targeting individuals and entities involved in Russian hybrid warfare. Poland has also bolstered its cybersecurity infrastructure with a $260 million Artificial Intelligence Fund, designed to enhance cyber defenses and develop dual-use technologies.

However, a recent commission investigating Russian and Belarusian influence found Poland’s counter-disinformation efforts to be “insufficient, ad hoc, inconsistent, and often superficial.” In 2024 alone, Poland recorded over 600,000 cyber incidents attributed to Russian actors, a 60% increase year-over-year.

“There is no other country within the European Union facing similar threats,”

—Krzysztof Gawkowski, Digital Affairs Minister

Operation Overload and the Doppelganger campaign represent just two examples of the sophisticated tactics employed to undermine the election. These included impersonating news outlets and distorting Polish news stories on platforms like X and Facebook using fake accounts.

As Poland navigates this complex landscape, continued vigilance and international cooperation will be crucial to safeguarding its democratic processes against future interference.