Insight News reports.Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland's media landscape has become a key target for Kremlin information operations. The strategy extends beyond traditional state propaganda channels to include local voices who lend credibility to Russian narratives by framing them within Poland's political tensions and historical grievances.In April 2025, Gazeta Wyborcza revealed that Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) had received a list of 25 individuals allegedly involved in disseminating Kremlin propaganda online. Among those named were several contributors to Myśl Polska, a nationalist weekly known for publishing pro-Russian and anti-Western content, including editor-in-chief Jan Engelgard and columnists Konrad Rękas and Adam Śmiech.Konrad Rękas: the 'Polish expert' for Russian state mediaRękas, a journalist and political activist with ties to the controversial pro-Kremlin Zmiana party, regularly publishes in Myśl Polska and English-language outlets like Global Research. His commentary has become a staple of Russian state media, with outlets like RIA Novosti and Ukraina.ru frequently citing him to validate Kremlin narratives.His most prominent claims mirror core Russian disinformation themes. Rękas has repeatedly alleged that Poland is preparing to seize Western Ukraine with U.S. approval—a narrative Russian media uses to portray Warsaw as an aggressive actor. "I have no doubt that the Polish authorities would not only willingly implement such a scenario, but that they are already preparing for it," he wrote in an article republished by Russian outlets.Rękas consistently adopts Kremlin terminology, referring to Russia's invasion as a "special military operation" and endorsing Putin's justification of "denazification of Ukraine." In one article amplified by RIA Novosti, he wrote: "Ukraine is a territory where denazification is absolutely necessary."He has also mocked Poland's Internal Security Agency, describing its investigations into Russian espionage as "surreal hysteria," and promoted the baseless claim that Poland is becoming "Ukropolia"—a hybrid Ukrainian-Polish entity governed with "Zelenskyy-style repression."Russian state media routinely recycles Rękas's fringe opinions as foreign confirmation of Kremlin talking points, using phrases like "Polish experts confirm" or "Even in Poland, they admit" to lend credibility to propaganda narratives.Adam Śmiech: normalizing pro-Russian positionsŚmiech, another Myśl Polska contributor, has been identified in analytic reports as part of a network amplifying narratives that align with Russian strategic interests. His articles frequently question Polish support for Ukraine, emphasize historical grievances like Volhynia, and argue for neutrality or rapprochement with Russia.Śmiech portrays Ukrainian national identity as an extremist CIA-engineered movement designed as a weapon against Russia, writing that "commemorating and educating young Ukrainians in the cult of criminals and their ideology of hatred" is a disgrace enabled by the United States and Europe.He argues that Poland's assistance to Ukraine represents blind obedience to Washington rather than sovereign policy. "Poland is depriving itself of any arguments because the hotheads among its rulers, who are nothing more than pawns, continue to dream of defeating Russia," he wrote.Like Rękas, Śmiech adopts Kremlin terminology, referring to Russia's invasion as a "special military operation" and shifting blame for the war onto NATO and Ukraine. The Russian website Inosmi.ru published his article claiming Poland acts as "a fanatical and disgusting instigator of war" while supporting "Bandera's Ukraine."Śmiech has appeared alongside Mateusz Piskorski, a figure arrested by Polish authorities in 2016 on espionage charges for Russia and China, in debates and publications. He participated in a Myśl Polska debate with Scott Ritter, an American-born commentator frequently featured on Russian propaganda channels, discussing "NATO's ongoing proxy war with Russia in Ukraine."The propaganda pipelineThe cases of Rękas and Śmiech illustrate how Kremlin narratives spread through domestic voices who appear authoritative and local to Polish readers. Their arguments become raw material for Russian state outlets, which repackage them as evidence that "Europe itself agrees" with Moscow's positions.Polish media emphasized that the ABW was asked what actions it was taking in response to the list of alleged propaganda amplifiers—whether investigations had been opened or if website blocking was possible—but no further developments have been publicized.Poland's prominence in Russian information warfare, due to its strategic location and strong support for Ukraine, makes it a priority target for operations designed to fracture public opinion and undermine trust in democratic institutions. Understanding how these networks operate remains essential for assessing the resilience of Poland's information environment against foreign influence.A coordinated network of pro-Russian outlets across nine European countries spread false claims about Ukrainian military defeats, revealing the sophisticated machinery behind Russia's information warfare campaign.