Russian anti-Polish disinformation narratines in 2024 in the light of the EUvsDisinfo database resources

Abstract

Since the annexation of Crimea, the spread of pro-Kremlin disinformation content in Europe has been intensifying and is a form of regularly conducted information warfare. It aims to manipulate public opinion and thus achieve military and/or political goals. This article presents a content analysis of 164 disinformation publications concerning Poland, registered in 2024 in the EUvsDisinfo database of articles and media materials. Using content and corpus analysis, the author identifies dominant narratives and their sources. The research proves that 57 websites are sources of Russian disinformation. They indicate that in 2024, the most common anti-Polish narratives included Poland’s involvement in the war in Ukraine, its claims to western territories of Ukraine, Poland's desire for nuclear war, Russophobia of Polish political elites and Polish society, Poland’s use of the migration crisis to destabilize the situation in Belarus, and Poland’s policy dictated by Anglo-Saxon countries, especially the United States. Pro-Kremlin media and Russian propagandists generated these messages. Most often, they took the form of commentaries on current events, focused on military issues, national security and geopolitics.