Poland accuses Russia of spreading fake news about mobilizing 200,000 men
- Officials in Poland suspect that a fake news report claiming Prime Minister Donald Tusk was mobilizing 200,000 men was orchestrated by Russia.
- The false report was believed to be an attempt to disrupt the upcoming European Parliament elections.
- Poland alleges that Russia-sponsored hackers were behind the misinformation campaign.
In Poland, there was a fake news report about Prime Minister Donald Tusk mobilizing 200,000 men. This report was likely created by hackers supported by Russia. The purpose was to disrupt the upcoming European Parliament election. The Deputy Prime Minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, mentioned that the cyberattack seemed to come from Russia and aimed to spread false information before the elections to cause confusion in society. The fake news report was quickly published on the Polish News Agency (PAP) but was removed shortly after. The hackers tried to publish it again, but it was stopped once more. Security experts are investigating the source of the hack and working to prevent further fake news from being spread through PAP. The Polish government believes that Russia and Belarus are conducting a hybrid war against Poland, using tactics like sending migrants to the border, attempted arsons, espionage, and cyberattacks. Poland supports Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, which may be a reason for these attacks. Gawkowski highlighted that Poland's important systems are frequently targeted by various incidents and cyberattacks. The European Parliament election in Poland is scheduled for June 9.