Poland’s 2025 presidential election has become the latest battleground in the growing war over digital influence, as Russian and Belarusian operatives launched a wide-ranging campaign of disinformation and cyberattacks designed to disrupt the country’s democratic process and shake public confidence in the electoral system.
According to officials and cybersecurity analysts, foreign interference was visible in nearly every aspect of the digital landscape in the months leading up to the vote. Coordinated efforts were made to spread propaganda, target political figures, and exploit internal divisions — all with the goal of manipulating voter behavior and undermining trust in the electoral outcome.
A Surge in Foreign-Backed Online Disinformation
Poland’s national cybersecurity agency, NASK, flagged more than 10,000 social media accounts between January and mid-May 2025 that were spreading misleading content aimed at influencing public opinion. Around 400 of those accounts were traced back to the Social Design Agency — a Kremlin-backed operation that has already been sanctioned by the European Union for its role in digital manipulation across Europe.
These accounts were found to be part of a broader network distributing coordinated messaging aligned with Russian state interests. Many of the same talking points, visuals, and themes also appeared on Telegram channels previously linked to Russian influence campaigns. Though officials did not specify which candidates were targeted, the material often attacked specific individuals and amplified fringe narratives.
Adding to the manipulation, a wave of unregistered political ads appeared on Facebook, costing what authorities estimate to be hundreds of thousands of Polish zlotys. These ads supported or criticized presidential contenders but were not affiliated with any formal campaign, further muddying the waters for voters trying to navigate the digital chaos.
Belarus’s State Media Adds Fuel to the Fire
Belarus, long seen as a loyal ally of Moscow, also played a central role in the effort. A joint investigation by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab and the nonprofit Alliance4Europe found that Radio Belarus — the state-controlled broadcaster — ran an aggressive campaign to influence Polish voters through popular platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).
By early May, the broadcaster had produced nearly 8,000 posts and videos, drawing over 16 million views and half a million engagements. These posts pushed content designed to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the election, criticize Poland’s support for Ukraine, and present anti-establishment candidates in a favorable light.
While TikTok acted to limit the reach of this content within Poland by implementing location-based restrictions, other platforms, including YouTube, were criticized for failing to take meaningful action to curb the spread of disinformation.
Dividing the Public from Within
Beyond spreading false information, Russian and Belarusian efforts also sought to intensify existing divisions in Polish society. Alliance4Europe’s Country Risk Election Assessment identified a pattern of narratives crafted to inflame debates around judicial independence, immigration policy, civil rights, and foreign alliances.
Five main themes dominated the disinformation campaigns: anti-Ukraine sentiment, opposition to migration, skepticism toward the EU and NATO, discrediting of established media outlets, and the promotion of obscure or extreme political figures. These themes were circulated widely through social media, alternative websites, and even spoofed news pages pretending to be legitimate Polish outlets.
Cyberattacks added another layer to the assault. One breach targeted the Civic Platform party’s internal systems, with links to Russian sources. Another operation involved the Polish arm of the Pravda network — a channel that republishes stories from sanctioned Russian state media.
Fake News and Digital Impersonation Tactics
Two major campaigns during the election cycle stood out for their sophistication. Operation Overload involved the creation of fake news websites that published fabricated stories meant to stir controversy and erode trust in the election process. Meanwhile, the Doppelganger campaign mimicked the branding and tone of real Polish news outlets to distribute distorted information via fake accounts on Facebook and X.
The objective of both efforts was clear: overwhelm Polish voters with conflicting and misleading narratives, making it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction in the lead-up to the vote.
How Poland and the EU Are Responding
In response to the growing threat, the European Union has taken stronger action. In May, the EU banned 18 media outlets accused of spreading Russian propaganda, particularly about the war in Ukraine. Sanctions were also placed on individuals and organizations found to be involved in digital disinformation and hybrid warfare operations.
On the home front, Poland has moved to strengthen its cyber defenses with the launch of a one billion zloty (about $260 million) Artificial Intelligence Fund. Backed by the ministries of defense and digital affairs, the initiative aims to improve the country’s ability to detect and respond to cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns using advanced technologies.
Still, concerns remain about the effectiveness of these measures. A report from a Polish government commission earlier this year criticized previous anti-disinformation efforts as being fragmented and insufficiently proactive. Experts say Poland needs a more coordinated and robust strategy if it wants to defend its democratic institutions against future attacks.
Escalating Threats Demand Vigilance
The scale of the digital assault on Poland is difficult to overstate. In 2024 alone, the country logged over 600,000 cyber incidents linked to Russian actors — a 60% increase from the previous year. Officials say no other EU member state is currently facing a threat of this magnitude.
Digital researchers also observed a drop in the level of responsiveness from social media platforms compared to Poland’s 2023 parliamentary elections. While TikTok implemented stronger protections this time, overall fact-checking and links to credible sources were far less visible across other platforms.
