Russian Meddling in Poland's 2025 Presidential Election Unveiled
Alleged Duplicate Propaganda Undermining Integrity of Poland's Upcoming Presidential Election Attributed to Russia
As the Polish presidential election looms, Europe's watchdogs have recently uncovered Russian influence operations, aiming to meddle with the nation's discourse ahead of the May 18 vote. The alarming news comes from Alliance4Europe, in conjunction with Lithuania-based Debunk.org, who have locked eyes on the refocused "Operation Doppelganger" – a disinformation campaign specifically targeting the Polish electorate.
Russian Shenanigans: A Closer Look
Russia's stealthy information warfare tricks include impersonating Polish media entities, spreading fabricated narratives about the Ukraine conflict, and eroding trust in Poland's government and NATO. This pulsating campaign seems to be the continuation of a broader, internationally deployed strategy against Western nations during critical elections and geopolitical milestones.
Operation Doppelganger: A Familiar Foe
First spotted in 2022 by EU DisinfoLab, Operation Doppelganger operates through fake websites that closely resemble legitimate European media outlets. These doppelganger platforms propagate misinformation supportive of Kremlin narratives and then distribute them via coordinated social media campaigns, fueled by automated bots and inauthentic accounts.
During the previous Doppelganger forays, targets such as France, Germany, and the United States were hit, especially during times of heightened political tension or military engagement involving Ukraine. The recent Polish campaign follows along these lines, with links to forged versions of leading Polish news platforms, such as TVN24, Onet, Interia, and Wprost. By exploiting the trust readers place in familiar news brands, the smutty ideas of the falsified articles reach far and wide.
Key Subjects and Election Timing
In the timeframe between March 4 and April 4, 2025, researchers discovered 279 posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that pointed to 13 major Polish media brands. Many of these posts led users to fraudulent websites instead of the genuine news websites they mimicked.
Covering these sham sites were pet stories about anti-Ukrainian sentiment, criticisms of Western sanctions on Russia, and claims that Poland's support for Ukraine was deteriorating its economy and standing on the international stage. Some stories trashed Polish political figures, like incumbent President Andrzej Duda and those running in the upcoming presidential race.
Two consistent narrative threads claimed that Polish troops were being secretly sent to Ukraine, placing them in direct conflict with Russia, and argued that Ukrainian refugees were receiving preferential treatment compared to Polish citizens.
Researchers caution that the release of these messages was no mere coincidence. The Polish presidential election is seen as a crucial test for democratic stability in the area, amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions across Europe. By fanning political flames, undermining trust in government institutions, and sparking apathy about the election, Russia appears to be orchestrating its efforts to destabilize the information landscape and weaken democratic institutions.
Multilingual and Coordinated Campaigns
While the principal language for these disinformation posts was Polish, some messages were also in English and German, indicating that the campaign may have been designed to impact external perceptions of Poland's political climate and international role.
Inseparable threads of these deceptive messages existed, suggesting the use of automation tools and pre-planned content schedules. The cloned websites were created using domain names that closely mirrored those of authentic Polish outlets, making it difficult for unsuspecting readers to distinguish official platforms from the fake ones.
Defending Democracy: The National and European Front
In response to the report, Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs underlined its commitment to cyber and information security, placing election integrity as a top priority. The Ministry confirmed that it's teaming up with EU partners and independent fact-checkers to keep tabs on disinformation campaigns.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) also launched a statement, decrying Russia's continued employment of information operations to interfere in democratic processes within EU member states.
The Role of Media Literacy
Experts stress that our best line of defense against such operations involves a two-pronged tactic: technical safeguards and heightened public awareness. Krzysztof Izdebski, a legal and digital governance expert with the Batory Foundation, emphasized the importance of teaching media literacy at all levels of education.
"Distinguishing disinformation isn't just a matter of technology – it's about critical thinking," Izdebski said. "Citizens need to be armed with the tools to scrutinize what they see and read, especially when political stakes are high."
Debunk.org and other fact-checking organizations have unveiled educational campaigns to help voters identify fake sites and verify sources. Their advice includes double-checking URLs, examining articles on official platforms, and reporting suspicious content to unwavering watchdogs.
As Poland gears up for a defining test of its democratic spirit, the revival of Operation Doppelganger underscores the evolving nature of foreign manipulation. Although the scope of the campaign remains relatively limited, its purpose is crystal clear: to destabilize the information space and undermine democratic institutions. Vigilance, transparency, and unification among civil society, media, and government will be crucial to ensure that the Polish populace votes free from foreign tampering.
- The Russian meddling in Poland's 2025 presidential election involves a disinformation campaign called Operation Doppelganger, which targets the Polish electorate.
- Russian information warfare tactics include impersonating Polish media entities and spreading fabricated narratives about the Ukraine conflict, aiming to erode trust in Poland's government and NATO.
- Operation Doppelganger operates through fake websites that mimic legitimate European media outlets, like TVN24, Onet, Interia, and Wprost, to propagate misinformation supportive of Kremlin narratives.
- Researchers have discovered 279 posts on social media platform X that pointed to 13 major Polish media brands, many of which led users to fraudulent websites instead of the genuine news websites they mimicked.
- Covering these sham sites were stories about anti-Ukrainian sentiment, criticisms of Western sanctions on Russia, and claims that Poland's support for Ukraine was detrimental to its economy and international standing.
- Some stories intended to disparage Polish political figures, such as incumbent President Andrzej Duda and candidates running in the upcoming presidential race.
- To combat this disinformation campaign, Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs has committed to cyber and information security, prioritizing election integrity and teaming up with EU partners and independent fact-checkers.
- Experts stress the importance of media literacy, urging citizens to develop critical thinking skills and learn how to scrutinize sources to avoid falling victim to disinformation campaigns.
- Collaboration among civil society, media, and government will be vital to ensure the Polish populace votes free from foreign tampering in the upcoming presidential elections.
