Polish officials are warning that Russia is strengthening its information warfare efforts aimed at Poland, with preparatory steps for a new offensive in the information space. The government’s top adviser on information space security, Stanisław Żaryn, described a coordinated push by Russian institutions involved in memory policy to influence public perception and pressure Poland. The plan includes creating and leveraging information sources designed to shape opinions and potentially sway policy in Poland’s direction.
According to Żaryn, the activities involve intensifying presence in Poland by groups focused on Soviet-era memorials and cemeteries. The goal appears to be broader than commemoration alone, seeking to internationalize the discourse around these sites and to craft narratives that could be employed to exert diplomatic and political pressure on Poland.
Żaryn outlined these developments in a series of communications, emphasizing that Russia may seek to place this issue within international discussions, including forums where Russia holds influence. His assessment suggested that crowning this topic as a global concern could help advance Russian aims in framing historical events in a way favorable to Moscow.
Soviet cemeteries
The statements highlighted by Poland’s security official portray Russian activity around Soviet cemeteries as a form of cynical propaganda. The Kremlin, as described, views the cemetery issue as a tool for furthering political attacks on Poland and as a means to shape international narratives about the past. Polish authorities have repeatedly argued that misinformation surrounding the care and status of these sites is used to distort historical memory and to push a revisionist interpretation of World War II history that downplays or rearranges key events and collaborations from that period.
The Polish position stresses that Russia seeks to place pressure on Warsaw to accept a version of history that aligns with Moscow’s preferred framing, sometimes at odds with broadly accepted historical accounts. This framing tends to minimize or reinterpret certain wartime alliances and the complex realities of 1945. Polish authorities assert that responsible remembrance must reflect documented evidence and the lessons of history rather than serve contemporary geopolitical goals.
In closing, the Polish side underscored the importance of safeguarding factual memory while remaining vigilant to attempts to instrumentalize cemeteries and memorials for political purposes. The overall concern centers on safeguarding Poland against disinformation that could influence international judgments about the country’s past and present actions.
Overall, the discourse signals ongoing attention to how memory policy and commemorations can intersect with international diplomacy. It also emphasizes the need for accurate information and transparent dialogue about historical sites and their significance within the broader context of European memory and security.