The Polish government has issued a stark warning regarding an escalating campaign of hybrid warfare orchestrated by the Russian Federation, aimed directly at destabilizing the nation’s political and social foundations. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, recently revealed in an interview with the Polish broadcaster RMF24 that Poland is currently operating under a state of persistent, coordinated aggression. According to Gawkowski, the conflict has transcended traditional borders, manifesting as a multifaceted hybrid war that integrates sophisticated cyber-espionage with calculated information manipulation to undermine the cohesion of the Polish state.
The scale of the digital onslaught is significant, with Gawkowski reporting that Polish information systems and critical infrastructure are subjected to hundreds, and occasionally thousands, of distinct cyberattack attempts on a daily basis. These malicious efforts target essential national services, reflecting a broader strategy by Russian state actors to probe for vulnerabilities within the country’s digital architecture. By focusing on critical infrastructure, these cyber campaigns aim to create uncertainty, disrupt public services, and compromise the technical integrity of the nation, forcing Polish cybersecurity teams into a state of permanent mobilization to defend against constant technological incursions.
Beyond technical attacks, Russia is heavily investing in large-scale psychological operations designed to sway public opinion and erode trust in government institutions. Gawkowski noted that Russian security services are aggressively utilizing “troll farms,” automated bot networks, and various messaging platforms to disseminate disinformation. This digital arsenal is deployed to manufacture dissent, amplify existing societal tensions, and spread confusion across social networks. The objective, he explained, is to destabilize Poland from within by flooding the digital landscape with narratives crafted to exhaust public discourse and weaken confidence in official communication channels.
A particularly sophisticated, emerging threat involves the targeted impersonation of high-ranking Polish officials to facilitate espionage. Criminal rings, directed by foreign intelligence agencies, have been crafting fake profiles on encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp, meticulously mimicking the visual identity and personal data of government ministers and state representatives. Through these channels, these actors attempt to infiltrate sensitive environments, contacting government agencies, scientific institutes, and state-owned enterprises. By masquerading as authority figures, they seek to manipulate employees into divulging classified information or taking deceptive actions that serve Russian geopolitical interests.
In response to this surge in illicit activity, the Polish government has implemented a robust set of countermeasures, including developing strict, standardized protocols for how state institutions must verify the authenticity of communications. Gawkowski emphasized that the government has issued comprehensive recommendations to both public agencies and state-run enterprises to safeguard their internal operations against these fraudulent attempts. These guidelines are designed to create a “culture of verification,” ensuring that sensitive exchanges are only conducted through authenticated channels and that any sudden or suspicious requests—even if they appear to originate from high-level leadership—undergo rigorous confirmation processes.
Ultimately, the Polish government is calling for national vigilance, urging citizens to treat the information ecosystem with extreme caution amid heightened tensions. Beyond the digital sphere, recent intelligence reports have noted increased Russian military activity in the vicinity of Polish airspace, further underscoring the gravity of the threat. The Ministry of Digital Affairs is encouraging the public to rely exclusively on official state channels for verified news and to remain skeptical of uncorroborated content circulating online. By fostering a more discerning and security-conscious citizenry, Warsaw hopes to neutralize the effectiveness of the Kremlin’s destabilization efforts and protect the integrity of the nation against ongoing hybrid aggression.
