In a forest clearing, a staged video shows two men in camouflage, portraits of US figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk affixed to poles, and a burning US flag. The men speak broken Ukrainian with strong Russian accents. This video, shared on a Polish Telegram channel with thousands of followers, exemplifies the pro-Russian disinformation tactics currently targeting Poland.
Recent analysis has uncovered a network of Polish-language Telegram channels actively spreading pro-Kremlin narratives. The BBC identified 22 such channels with a combined subscriber base exceeding 150,000, disseminating various forms of pro-Russian propaganda and falsehoods.
While Telegram isn’t the most popular social media platform in Poland, experts warn it acts as a crucial “starting point” for disinformation. False or manipulative claims frequently appear there first before being amplified and spreading to platforms with much larger reach, such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook groups.
The Playbook of Disinformation
These channels often masquerade as legitimate news sources. Some claim to be “impartial” or offer “unbiased” news, while others promise “reliable and verified information hidden from the public.” However, their content tells a different story.
A primary tactic involves citing or replicating material from Russian state media outlets like RT and Sputnik, which are banned across the European Union for promoting propaganda. They also frequently quote or link to prominent figures within the Russian regime and its media apparatus, including President Vladimir Putin, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, and influential pro-war bloggers.
The narratives pushed are varied and often insidious:
Outright Fabrications: Channels share completely false information. One egregious example includes showing individuals applying fake blood, falsely claiming this depicted the staging of the horrific killings in Bucha in 2022. Another widely debunked fake story promoted on Telegram alleged a Ukrainian artist in Poland voluntarily amputated his healthy leg in solidarity with soldiers, using fabricated video clips falsely attributed to Euronews.
Anti-Ukrainian Slurs: Ukrainian leaders and soldiers are frequently labelled as “Nazis,” often coupled with claims that the government in Kyiv is controlled by Western powers like the United States.
Selective Truth and Omission: Channels often mix true and false information or deliberately omit crucial context to create misleading impressions. For instance, following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv, many channels ignored the event entirely or shifted focus to supposed Russian military gains, while a few echoed Kremlin lines blaming Ukraine for the casualties or claiming only military sites were targeted.
Tapping into Anxieties: More subtle messages exploit existing societal fears. Some posts suggest increased military spending by EU countries responding to the perceived Russian threat is impoverishing citizens. Unsubstantiated generalizations about Ukrainian refugees portraying them negatively also appear, playing on economic and cultural anxieties within Polish society and potentially contributing to “refugee fatigue.”
Goals and Connections
Experts believe the primary aims of these pro-Russian Telegram channels are clear: to erode support for Ukraine, polarize public opinion within Poland, and create divisions between Polish and Ukrainian societies.
Poland’s history, including decades under Soviet influence, fosters a strong historical resentment towards Russia. This can make explicitly pro-Russian messages ineffective. Consequently, pro-Kremlin actors often blend their narratives with far-right content and conspiracy theories – a mix for which Telegram is considered an ideal platform due to its popularity among these communities.
While the true operators behind many channels remain opaque, there are indicators of ties to Russia or Belarus. Analysts note that the posting schedules of many channels align with Moscow’s working hours, suggesting a coordinated effort. Specific channels have documented links:
UKR LEAKS_pl: Part of a wider network run by Vasily Prozorov, a former Ukrainian security service officer who defected to Russia.
InfoDefensePOLAND: Linked to the international InfoDefense group, which operates in numerous languages and is associated with pro-Kremlin blogger Yury Podolyaka, who has been convicted in absentia in Ukraine for collaboration with Moscow.
- Pravda PL: Belongs to the Pravda group, a large pro-Kremlin network that France’s disinformation agency Viginum has linked to a Russian IT firm in Russian-occupied Crimea. Reports also suggest Pravda’s content is so prevalent it has begun appearing in the responses of some AI chatbots.
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Responding to the Threat
Some targeted channels have responded to scrutiny. Polska Grupa Informacyjna claimed impartiality and said it shares controversial material merely as examples without endorsement. InfoDefensePOLAND stated it has hundreds of global volunteers supporting Russia. UKR_LEAKS and Pravda did not provide comment.
The spread of this disinformation is particularly concerning because it allows content from banned Russian state media to persist within the Polish information space, potentially reaching a wide audience and helping to legitimise the Russian regime’s perspectives in public discourse.
In a significant recent development related to countering such narratives, Telegram itself has reportedly blocked access to several major Russian state media channels, including RT and Sputnik, in various European countries, including Poland. Russia has condemned this action as political censorship and vowed retaliation, highlighting the escalating battle over information control on the platform.
Responding to the broader challenge of disinformation and the need for trusted news, the BBC has launched a new Polish-language news service, BBC News Polska, aiming to provide independent and impartial journalism to Polish audiences. This includes using AI translation under human editorial oversight and featuring original reporting, part of an effort to provide reliable information in a media landscape facing increasing attacks on truth.
The persistent presence and evolving tactics of pro-Russian propaganda on platforms like Telegram underscore the ongoing challenge of combating disinformation campaigns targeting European societies.
