Russian Disinformation Campaign Follows Drone Incursion into Poland
On the night of September 10, 2025, several Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, triggering a swift and multifaceted disinformation campaign orchestrated by Moscow. Debris from at least eight drones and one missile was subsequently discovered on Polish territory, confirming the incursion. While the incident itself represented a dangerous escalation of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the ensuing disinformation campaign highlighted Russia’s continued efforts to manipulate narratives, sow discord among allies, and deflect responsibility for its aggressive actions.
The Kremlin immediately went on the offensive, deploying its well-worn playbook of denial and deflection. Russia’s Foreign Ministry categorically denied any involvement in the drone incursion, accusing Poland of fabricating the incident to escalate tensions and deepen the Ukrainian crisis. Simultaneously, Moscow propagated the counter-narrative that Ukraine was the true culprit, alleging a deliberate attempt by Kyiv to draw NATO into a direct confrontation with Russia. This carefully crafted narrative aimed to undermine trust between Ukraine and its Western allies, particularly Poland, a staunch supporter of Kyiv.
To amplify these disinformation narratives, Russia mobilized a network of political figures and so-called “experts.” State Duma deputy Serhiy Sheryemet and former Ukrainian prime minister Mykola Azarov, known for their pro-Russian stances, were among those who publicly echoed the Kremlin’s claims, lending a veneer of credibility to the fabricated narrative. This coordinated effort to disseminate disinformation across multiple platforms demonstrated Russia’s sophisticated approach to information warfare.
The disinformation campaign extended beyond traditional media outlets, leveraging the power of social media to manipulate public opinion, particularly in Poland. According to Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, Russia utilized bot farms to inundate Polish-language social media platforms with fabricated stories and misleading information. Monitoring of Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok revealed over 5,000 posts related to the drone incursion, reaching an estimated 30 million views. This massive online operation aimed to sow confusion, erode public trust in official accounts, and amplify the narrative of Ukrainian responsibility.
Analysis of the social media activity revealed a concerted effort to discredit Ukraine and portray it as a reckless actor seeking to drag Poland into war. Over 450 publicly accessible posts, garnering approximately 5.5 million views, promoted variations on this theme. These posts repeatedly accused Ukraine of orchestrating the drone incursion as a “provocation” designed to escalate the conflict and force Poland into direct military engagement with Russia. Other narratives falsely claimed that the drones entered Polish airspace due to Ukrainian air defense errors or electronic warfare “spoofing” tactics.
The full extent of the Russian disinformation campaign is still being assessed. However, it is clear that the drone incursion into Polish airspace was not merely a military provocation but also a calculated information operation aimed at undermining the Ukrainian-Polish partnership and fostering discord within NATO. By disseminating conflicting narratives, promoting conspiracy theories, and exploiting social media platforms, Russia sought to create confusion, sow distrust, and ultimately weaken the resolve of its adversaries. This incident underscored the importance of vigilance against disinformation and the need for robust fact-checking mechanisms to counter the spread of false narratives.
