Poland warns of Russian full‑scale cognitive war

At a conference on hybrid threats, Polish minister of special services Tomasz Siemoniak warned that Russian actions against Poland increasingly blend disinformation with sabotage, such as rail explosions and arson of shopping centres, to sow fear and erode trust in state institutions. He described the phenomenon as a "cognitive war" that attacks the way people perceive reality and undermines confidence in media, experts and facts.

Foreign minister Radosław Sikorski echoed the warning, stating that "Russia is waging a full‑scale cognitive war against us." He noted that Moscow spends about $1.4 billion a year on a sophisticated propaganda network aimed at weakening Western societies, breaking alliances and destabilising democratic discourse. Sikorski argued that the response should focus on building societal resilience to manipulation rather than imposing bans on media platforms.