Pre-election Poland in the crosshairs of Russian disinformation
Ahead of the presidential elections in Poland, scheduled for May 18, the influence of information campaigns has intensified in the Polish information space. According to a report by the Polish public fact-checking organization Demagog.pl, the main themes exploited by pro-russian accounts on social media in April were anti-semitism, anti-migrant sentiments, and anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.
▫️For example, within these campaigns, calls for the deportation of Ukrainians from Poland, fake news about Ukrainian authorities, and praises for russia and putin were widely spread. The focus of the russian information attack was on supporting candidates with openly anti-Ukrainian rhetoric and putin sympathizers.
▫️Through attempts to influence elections in EU countries, russia aims to reduce international support for Ukraine and destabilize the internal political situation in European countries.
Earlier, the Center reported that Poland had announced an unprecedented attempt by russia to interfere in the presidential elections. This involved the spread of disinformation combined with hybrid attacks on the country’s critical infrastructure.
