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The Polish government has released a detailed report exposing a sophisticated Russian disinformation campaign following an airspace intrusion by drones, believed to be of Russian origin. The incident, which occurred amidst heightened tensions between NATO and Russia, triggered a wave of false narratives across social media and news outlets aimed at deflecting blame from Moscow and undermining Poland’s security apparatus. The report meticulously documents the various disinformation narratives propagated by Russian sources, providing concrete examples of how these narratives were disseminated and amplified across online platforms.

The identified disinformation narratives included the claim that Ukraine deliberately allowed the drones to enter Polish airspace to draw Poland into the ongoing conflict. Other narratives portrayed the incident as a staged event orchestrated by Kyiv and Warsaw, suggesting it was a fabricated pretext for escalating tensions. Furthermore, disinformation spread alleged that Belarus had forewarned Poland about the incoming drones, and even implausibly suggested that the Polish military was preparing an offensive against Belarus. These narratives, according to the Polish government, were designed to sow discord and confusion, erode public trust in official information sources, and divert attention from Russia’s responsibility for the incursion.

According to the Polish government, the primary objective of this disinformation offensive was to shift the blame away from Russia and onto Ukraine, portraying Kyiv as the instigator of the airspace violation.

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