Labeling recruitment for pro-Russian networks as “international volunteering”

What it claims

Pro-Russian outlets disguise the recruitment of Polish citizens for information operations as a search for “international volunteers”. Participants are invited to help people access “important information”, which in reality means disseminating Kremlin propaganda within the Polish media landscape.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• Become part of the international InfoDefense volunteer team to help people access truthful information.

  InfoDefense (Polish), 10 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

• If you are ready to contribute to the project's development and value the idea of free access to information, join our team via the chatbot.

  InfoDefense (Polish), 10 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

We link archived copies rather than the posts themselves, so that checking our work sends no traffic to the source. Where a platform cannot be archived, we print the post's address instead of linking it.

Goal

To build a network of loyal Polish-speaking influencers to legitimise and disseminate Russian narratives within Poland.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUse of terms like “international team”, “volunteers”, and “important information” to grant legitimacy to propaganda activities.
• Obfuscation / Intentional VaguenessHiding the project's true goal — the spread of disinformation — behind altruistic slogans of helping people.

The real grievance it exploits

The manipulation exploits the sincere desire of some in Polish society to volunteer and seek alternative information sources amid low trust in official media.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Note that networks like InfoDefense are often linked to foreign intelligence services and use “volunteers” to spread disinformation for free, harming Poland's national security.

Sources (all time)

• InfoDefense (Polish)Tier 32,161 subscribers
  1 post · 10 Aug 2026

  • 10 Aug · Archived copy