Russian Interference Plagues Polish Election, Officials Allege

Poland’s recent presidential election faced an “unprecedented” wave of foreign interference, with coordinated disinformation campaigns orchestrated by Russia and Belarus, according to Polish government officials and cybersecurity experts.

Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski highlighted the severity of the situation, stating that Russia’s attempts to meddle in the election included hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure, with the aim of “paralyzing the normal functioning of the state.” He also noted a significant increase – a doubling – in Russian military intelligence activity within Poland compared to the previous year.

Disinformation Campaigns Targeted Voters

Between January and mid-May, Poland’s Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK) identified over 10,000 social media accounts actively spreading disinformation designed to influence the election’s outcome.

Approximately 400 of these accounts were linked to the Social Design Agency, a Kremlin-funded organization sanctioned by the European Union for its involvement in disinformation campaigns. NASK revealed that these accounts promoted content that mirrored “the narrative of the Russian Federation’s psychological and informational apparatus.”

While NASK refrained from naming the specific presidential candidate targeted, they confirmed that some disinformation materials were focused on discrediting a particular individual. Identical messaging and visuals were also discovered on Telegram channels previously linked to Russian disinformation efforts.

Unauthorized Ad Campaigns and Foreign Media Influence

Gawkowski also pointed to unauthorized Facebook ad campaigns, valued at “hundreds of thousands of zlotys,” which targeted presidential candidates without being registered with any official election committee.

The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab and Alliance4Europe published a report in May 2025 detailing how Radio Belarus, the Polish-language branch of Belarus’s state-run Belteleradio, conducted a digital influence campaign aimed at discrediting the Polish election. The broadcaster used platforms like TikTok, YouTube, X, and Facebook to spread messages questioning the vote’s legitimacy, while endorsing some candidates and attacking others.

The report indicated that Radio Belarus employed manipulative tactics to portray establishment candidates as being aligned with foreign interests, criticized Poland’s support for Ukraine, and promoted lesser-known anti-establishment figures. By early May, the outlet had published over 7,790 posts and videos, generating more than 16 million views and at least 542,000 engagements.

Martyna Hoffman, a co-author of the report, noted that while TikTok actively used geofencing to block access to Radio Belarus’s harmful content in Poland, YouTube failed to take significant action, only issuing standard rejections to user reports.

Poland Responds with Cybersecurity Investments

Poland is responding to the growing Russian threat by strengthening its cybersecurity infrastructure, including launching a one billion zloty (approximately $260 million) Artificial Intelligence Fund. This initiative, supported by Poland’s defense and digital affairs ministries, is designed to enhance cyber defenses and develop dual-use technologies to counter hybrid threats.

Despite these efforts, a January report by a Polish commission investigating Russian and Belarusian influence concluded that Poland’s counter-disinformation efforts have been “insufficient, ad hoc, inconsistent, and often superficial.”

In 2024 alone, Poland recorded over 600,000 cyber incidents attributed to Russian actors, representing a 60% year-over-year increase. Gawkowski stated that “There is no other country within the European Union facing similar threats,” according to the Polish Press Agency.

Aleksandra Wójtowicz, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, observed that social media platforms made noticeably less effort to combat disinformation during this election compared to Poland’s 2023 parliamentary vote. She noted that “TikTok took a more ambitious approach, but overall, fact-checking labels and links to reliable sources were largely missing.”