Stanisław Żaryn, the government’s plenipotentiary for the security of Poland’s information space, highlighted on Twitter that Russia has engaged in disinformation activities tied to legionella cases in Poland. He stressed that Moscow was quick to seize the moment to spread common falsehoods about the Polish situation.
There is also fresh material to consider, he noted, indicating that Kremlin-linked voices quickly tried to shape perceptions around the health incident to serve broader propaganda goals.
Russia conducts information campaigns against Poland by leveraging current events to amplify its narrative, according to the remarks made in the Prime Minister’s office. The focus on legionella infections is presented as an example of how disinformation efforts are timed to current events and then amplified by various channels.
The Kremlin’s aim, as described, includes sowing panic among local communities and residents of Podkarpacie. Messages circulated to magnify the perceived threat and to present the situation as far more serious than it actually is, according to Żaryn’s recording.
There is also a pattern of false claims suggesting the legionella outbreak stemmed from accepting Ukrainian refugees and that the disease originated in Ukraine. These narratives are part of a broader attempt to distort responsibility and create distrust between peoples, the official noted.
Additionally, he mentioned that some propaganda goes so far as to deny that legionella ever broke out in Poland, instead framing the event as a political maneuver to obscure Poland’s deployment of soldiers and mercenaries to Ukraine who reportedly died at the front. In this alternate account, the outbreak would be used to justify large casualty figures among Polish citizens.
According to Żaryn, these sensational, nonsensical stories are a hallmark of Russia’s influence operations. The aim is twofold: to drive wedges between Poles and Ukrainians and to imply Polish involvement in a broader conflict, portraying Poland as an aggressor that risks dragging the West into a confrontation with Russia.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Chancellery echoed this assessment, underscoring that such disinformation efforts aim to undermine collaboration between Western allies and Ukraine. The objective, he argued, would be to create space for Russia to gain leverage amid the ongoing war.
From the perspective of Poland’s security leadership, these actions are framed as part of a broader military information operation against Ukraine. The government’s plenipotentiary for information security reiterated that Moscow treats information activity as a facet of military strategy in the region, designed to influence perceptions and operational decisions.
As of the time of these remarks, the date marked the 558th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. The narrative around legionella is placed within the longer arc of the ongoing conflict and regional information warfare, illustrating how health crises can be weaponized in information space to shape policy and public sentiment. The cross-border implications of these campaigns are highlighted by officials who stress the need for vigilance, factual reporting, and resilience against manipulation, especially in the context of Polish-Ukrainian cooperation and Western support. This is seen as essential to maintaining social cohesion and accurate public understanding during a tense period for the region. | Citation: wPolityce
Source: wPolityce