Polish Deputy Prime Minister: Russian Federation is trying to recruit Poles to influence presidential election

Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski. Photo: Ministry of Digitalisation of Poland

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has accused Russia of trying to recruit Poles to influence the presidential election in May.

As he told Reuters, the recruitment is being carried out through «and the darknet», a part of the Internet that can only be accessed through specialised browsers. Polish authorities have already recorded such attempts since the beginning of 2025.

According to him, Russia offers three to four thousand euros for spreading disinformation content.

Support those who keep the city informed every day

Club NikVesti — a place where the reader and the editorial team are on the same side.

Members have access to a private chat, an exclusive newsletter with behind-the-scenes stories from journalists, see the news earlier, and influence the changes.

Join us. Together we keep the city bright

One-time support Monthly

€ 1 € 2 € 10

Donate

€ 2 € 5 € 10

Secure payment

The recipient of donations is the NGO “Mykolaiv Media Hub” (EDRPOU 45160758). By making a donation, you confirm that the amount is non-refundable and may be used by the NGO to implement its statutory activities, including supporting independent journalism and creating socially significant content. Public offer.

«This is money sent by the Russian GRU and FSS services, which are looking for such patrons of their content here,» he said.

At the same time, Polish Radio, citing government officials, writes that during this year's presidential election, Warsaw will introduce a «cyber umbrella», which will aim to detect disinformation and counter potential foreign interference in the electoral process.

According to Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland will soon launch a portal that will help to quickly report inappropriate content.

«On 2 February this year, we are launching new tools for citizens, including a free cybersecurity check of domains. These measures, carried out in cooperation with the Internal Security Agency, are designed to provide greater protection for the electoral process,» he said.

As a reminder, the United States has imposed sanctions on Russian intelligence officers who wanted to influence the country's elections.