Polish officials and researchers say Russia has substantially expanded an online disinformation campaign in Poland, using a longstanding dispute over World War Two massacres to stoke tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv, with much of the activity amplified by bot networks across major social media platforms.
Russia accused of exploiting Poland-Ukraine WWII dispute to spread disinformation ahead of 2027 elections
Polish officials and researchers say Russia has substantially expanded an online disinformation campaign in Poland, using a longstanding dispute over World War Two massacres to stoke tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv, with much of the activity amplified by bot networks across major social media platforms.
The dispute centers on the Volhynia massacres, in which Poland says Ukrainian forces killed around 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1945, with thousands of Ukrainians killed in reprisal. The controversy intensified after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named an army unit after insurgents linked to those killings, prompting Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip Zelenskiy of a top Polish honor in June.
Polish Deputy Digital Minister Pawel Olszewski told Reuters the naming of the unit caused Russian disinformation to 'explode' across social and official Russian media platforms, including Telegram, with posts subsequently repeated by Polish outlets. An analysis by the state-backed Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) found anti-Ukrainian content in Polish on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube rose by more than 250% following the decision.
PISM analyst Filip Bryjka said much of that increase appeared to be artificially generated through bot activity designed to create the impression of rapidly growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Analysts described the approach — amplifying real controversies rather than circulating false information — as a possible new Russian disinformation tactic, making it harder to identify and counter than conventional fake-news campaigns.
Opinion polls indicate deteriorating public support for Ukraine in Poland. An IBRiS poll published early last month found 33.6% of respondents said their attitude toward Ukrainians had worsened following the World War Two-linked dispute. A separate IBRiS survey published last month showed support for continued military assistance to Ukraine had fallen to 52% from 78% in 2022.
Experts caution that negative sentiment toward Ukraine cannot be attributed solely to foreign influence, also citing public weariness with an estimated 1.8 to 1.9 million Ukrainian migrants in Poland, disputes over grain imports, and the historical legacy of the wartime killings. Ukrainians living in Poland have faced mounting hostility in recent months, prompting Prime Minister Donald Tusk to call for an end to xenophobic attacks. Pollsters say policy toward Ukrainians could be a key issue in parliamentary elections expected in 2027, with polling suggesting Tusk's pro-European government may struggle to retain power.
- The source does not state which specific social media accounts or Polish outlets were identified as repeating Russian messaging.
- The source does not identify which body or methodology IBRiS used to select poll respondents or the sample sizes for either survey cited.
- The source does not specify what PISM's methodology was for measuring the more-than-250% increase or what baseline period was used.
- The source does not state whether any platform named — X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube — has responded to the findings or taken action against the bot activity described.
- The source does not detail what specific measures, beyond Tusk's public call, the Polish government has taken in response to the disinformation campaign or anti-Ukrainian hostility.
Read the original at The Straits Times