Służby specjalne

In the latest episode of the ongoing disinformation campaign targeted against Poland, a fake email has been sent to a number of media and public institutions in the country, as well as to some of the allied institutions. It described an alleged action undertaken by Poland’s counter-intelligence service, the ABW. More specifically, attached to the email was a false press release about the ABW’s success in nabbing a Lithuanian soldier for spying.

The perpetrator of the attack used a bogus email address that seemed to be one of the service’s actual e-mails. The attached press release featured false information intended to undermine the relationship between Poland and Lithuania:

• it informed that the ABW had allegedly detained a Lithuanian soldier who had been carrying out espionage activities against Poland;
• it also informed that the nabbed military officer had been reporting to Lithuanian authorities the intelligence on the possibilities to enhance the U.S. military presence in Lithuania at the expense of Poland;
• it detailed that the man was stationed in Poland, in the headquarters of an international allied military unit.

Initially, the fake information was disseminated among the English-language news websites notorious for spreading the Russian disinformation. Next, it was emailed to a number of recipients in Poland, including some media outlets.

The attack aimed to:

• create information chaos
• destabilize Polish-Lithuanian ties
• sow mistrust between Poland and Lithuania
• undermine the credibility of NATO
• affect the policies of NATO members with regard to the Alliance’s Eastern Flank

The identified aims of the attack correspond with the methods of information warfare activities taken by Russia against Poland and NATO.

 

Spokesman for Poland’s Minister-Special Services Coordinator