Poland is facing an unprecedented attempt by Russia to intervene in its presidential elections, Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said on Tuesday, as the campaign entered its final stages ahead of the first round of voting scheduled for May 18.
Poland says its role as a center for aid to Ukraine has made it a key target for Russian sabotage, cyber attacks, and disinformation efforts, and Warsaw has been on high alert for interference, especially after Romania canceled its December presidential elections due to accusations of Russian interference, according to Reuters.
Russia has repeatedly denied accusations of interfering in foreign elections and criticized the decision to cancel the elections in Romania.
"During the current presidential elections in Poland, we are facing an unprecedented attempt to intervene in the electoral process by Russia," Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said at a defense-themed conference. "This is being done... through the spread of misinformation, combined with hybrid attacks on critical Polish infrastructure to paralyze the normal functioning of the state," he stated.
The minister said the attacks targeted water and sewage companies, heating and power plants, and state administration bodies. The level of Russian activity in terms of cyber attacks in Poland has been more than double compared to last year, he emphasized.
"Today, in Poland, during each minute of my speech, there have been approximately 12 incidents targeting critical infrastructure," he stated.
The Russian Embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by email from Reuters.
Warsaw stated in March that a cyber attack had targeted the Polish space agency. In 2024, Poland stated that the state news agency was likely affected by a Russian cyber attack.
Warsaw and its allies have also claimed that Moscow is behind acts of arson and sabotage in Europe. Russia rejects these claims.