Poland’s Minister of National Defense has stressed the importance of social resilience to disinformation.
His remarks follow the cyberattack on the Polish Press Agency on Friday, during which the agency’s portal twice published a dispatch containing false information claiming that Prime Minister Donald Tusk had announced military mobilization starting in July.
Following the incident, Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesman for the Minister Coordinator of the Special Services, said that Russia was most likely behind the cyber attack.
On Saturday, while visiting the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszów Mazowiecki in the Polish province of Łódź, Polish defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said:
“We need to be socially resilient to disinformation. Yesterday’s disinformation attack. False information about mobilization, inaccurately attributed, as it is the President of the Republic, not the Prime Minister, who orders mobilization. Many things have been distorted, but such incidents unfortunately aim to cause any concern. To sow a sense of chaos, a sense of panic.”
He continued “We need to be resilient to such events. I ask everyone to verify the information that appears in the public space. Please do not believe, especially in the online space, many false accounts that have been created solely to sow chaos and confusion.”
The Deputy Prime Minister assessed that “this is such a huge area that without the involvement and support of citizens and social resilience, we will not be able to effectively counteract it.
The involvement of all of us is very necessary here,” he emphasized.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also stated that acts of sabotage and subversion are elements of hybrid warfare against the Polish state.
He added: “Unfortunately, there are many such actions, many people have already been detained, many have been subjected to temporary arrest, charges of sabotage, subversive activities to the detriment of the Polish state have been brought against many. We need unity and solidarity in this area of fighting in the hybrid war that has been directed against Poland. We need support for soldiers and officers. We need social resilience.”
Russia behind AI covert operations in Poland
The American AI research company, Open AI, published an investigative report on Thursday, revealing that groups from Russia, China, Iran, and Israel used AI models to conduct covert influence operations on social media in Europe, including Poland.
According to researchers from non-profit groups AI Forensics and CheckFirst, some 275 sponsored posts containing anti-Ukrainian and anti-EU content reached more than three million Facebook users in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland in May.
The proliferation of pro-Russian disinformation has ignited widespread concern throughout Europe, particularly as the upcoming European Parliament elections approach. Mounting evidence indicates Moscow’s concerted efforts to sway public opinion ahead of the elections.
Following the incident, Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesman for the Minister Coordinator of the Special Services, said that Russia was most likely behind the cyber attack.
On Saturday, while visiting the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszów Mazowiecki in the Polish province of Łódź, Polish defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said:
“We need to be socially resilient to disinformation. Yesterday’s disinformation attack. False information about mobilization, inaccurately attributed, as it is the President of the Republic, not the Prime Minister, who orders mobilization. Many things have been distorted, but such incidents unfortunately aim to cause any concern. To sow a sense of chaos, a sense of panic.”
He continued “We need to be resilient to such events. I ask everyone to verify the information that appears in the public space. Please do not believe, especially in the online space, many false accounts that have been created solely to sow chaos and confusion.”
The defense minister added that in 2023 Poland dealt with 80 thousand incidents in cyberspace, warning that this year there may be twice as many attacks.Potrzebujemy zjednoczenia, wsparcia dla żołnierzy i funkcjonariuszy i odporności społecznej w wojnie hybrydowej, która została wymierzona przeciwko Polsce
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) June 1, 2024
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Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: Chciałbym podziękować dowódcy generalnemu RSZ oraz dowódcom 25. Brygady Kawalerii… pic.twitter.com/5EQd9bpKpY
The Deputy Prime Minister assessed that “this is such a huge area that without the involvement and support of citizens and social resilience, we will not be able to effectively counteract it.
The involvement of all of us is very necessary here,” he emphasized.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also stated that acts of sabotage and subversion are elements of hybrid warfare against the Polish state.
He added: “Unfortunately, there are many such actions, many people have already been detained, many have been subjected to temporary arrest, charges of sabotage, subversive activities to the detriment of the Polish state have been brought against many. We need unity and solidarity in this area of fighting in the hybrid war that has been directed against Poland. We need support for soldiers and officers. We need social resilience.”
Russia behind AI covert operations in Poland
The American AI research company, Open AI, published an investigative report on Thursday, revealing that groups from Russia, China, Iran, and Israel used AI models to conduct covert influence operations on social media in Europe, including Poland.
According to researchers from non-profit groups AI Forensics and CheckFirst, some 275 sponsored posts containing anti-Ukrainian and anti-EU content reached more than three million Facebook users in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland in May.
The proliferation of pro-Russian disinformation has ignited widespread concern throughout Europe, particularly as the upcoming European Parliament elections approach. Mounting evidence indicates Moscow’s concerted efforts to sway public opinion ahead of the elections.
Source: PAP, TVP World
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