Poland says Russia attempting to interfere in presidential election

Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Affairs, has warned that the country is currently experiencing an unprecedented effort by Russia to meddle in its presidential election.

Source: Reuters; European Pravda

Polish officials believe the country’s role as a key transit point for aid to Ukraine has placed it squarely in Russia’s crosshairs, making it a primary target for cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.

"Right now, during Poland’s presidential election, we are witnessing an unprecedented attempt at election interference by Russia," Gawkowski stated at a defense conference.

He noted that Russia is combining disinformation efforts with hybrid attacks on Poland’s critical infrastructure, aiming to disrupt normal state operations.

According to officials, these attacks have been directed at vital systems such as water supplies, energy plants, combined heat and power facilities, and government agencies. The volume of Russian cyber threats in Poland has reportedly more than doubled since the previous year.

"Each minute I speak, a dozen or more incidents are being recorded against our critical infrastructure," Gawkowski added.

Poland has already taken steps to bolster its cybersecurity and is in discussions with social media companies in preparation for heightened cyber threats during the election period.

On April 2, Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that his Civic Platform party had been hit by a foreign cyberattack. Gawkowski later attributed the attack to groups operating out of Russia and Belarus.