Poland confronts Minsk and Oslo-style disinformation campaigns
A senior security adviser in Poland, Stanisław Żaryn, has drawn attention to a growing stream of propaganda believed to originate from the Minsk information system. He notes an increasing share of messages that seek to diminish Poland and challenge the credibility of the authorities guarding the country’s borders. The remarks form part of a broader assessment of how external influence campaigns shape public opinion and political discourse inside Poland.
The discussion remains focused on a claim that a destabilization operation aimed at the Polish border is being guided and executed by services from Belarus and Russia. Żaryn asserts that these activities are paired with deliberate disinformation and manipulation efforts designed to confuse the public, strain social cohesion, and test the resilience of Polish state institutions.
Żaryn shared observations on social media, indicating that the goal behind these campaigns is to undermine Poland and to cast doubt on the entities that defend the country’s territorial inviolability. He describes a calculated push to question Poland’s governance and security arrangements while portraying Polish institutions as ineffective or compromised in the eyes of ordinary citizens and international partners alike.
The aim of discrediting Poland
The operational backbone of the Minsk regime’s propaganda apparatus has recently shown a higher proportion of manipulative messages intended to lower Poland’s standing. This pattern, as identified by Żaryn, signals a strategic effort to erode trust in the Polish state and its security services, thereby weakening the perceived legitimacy of official decisions and responses to ongoing challenges.
Within this information strategy, Belarusian and Russian influence networks pursue multiple aims. They seek to pressure Polish authorities to open or tolerate illegal migration routes through Poland, a tactic meant to destabilize border control and complicate the country’s asylum and immigration process. In addition, these campaigns aim to mobilize vulnerable groups within Poland, encouraging actions that could undermine national stability or provoke social divisions. The overarching purpose appears to be a mix of political and psychological pressure directed at Poland’s leadership and the populations affected by migration and border security concerns.
Stanisław Żaryn emphasized that these efforts form part of a planned information war intended to destabilize Polish governance and to seed doubt about the effectiveness of the state’s security architecture. By documenting and calling out these patterns, Polish authorities aim to bolster resilience, inform the public, and deter attempts to manipulate perception and policy from abroad.
What emerges from these assessments is a recognition that transnational disinformation campaigns can have tangible consequences for how nations manage borders, respond to migration, and communicate with citizens. Analysts underscore the importance of media literacy, credible public information, and transparent government communications to counter manipulative messaging and to preserve confidence in democratic institutions. These insights contribute to a broader conversation about safeguarding national sovereignty and ensuring stable civic discourse in the face of external pressure.