Disinformation

Pro-Russian Information Campaign Exploits Russian Drone Incursion Incident

Honghao Wang

— 4 min read
Pro-Russian Information Campaign Exploits Russian Drone Incursion Incident

Introduction

The Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has documented multiple instances of pro‑Russia information operations (IO) exploiting the reported incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace on September 9–10, 2025. This activity was mobilized rapidly in response to the incident and subsequent political/security developments, reflecting established patterns of pro‑Russia campaigns targeting Poland, NATO, and Western alliances.

GTIG’s analysis is based on monitoring IO activities outside Google‑owned properties. Google remains committed to transparency by tracking such threats and blocking inauthentic content on its platforms, with enforcement actions regularly disclosed through the TAG Bulletin.

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Key Observed Narratives

Messaging associated with the drone incursion advanced multiple influence objectives aligned with historical pro‑Russia IO tactics:

  • Promoting a Positive Russian Image
  • Coordinated amplification of content denying Russia’s responsibility for the incursion.
  • Blaming NATO and the West
  • Framing events to claim Poland or NATO fabricated a pretext to advance political agendas.
  • Undermining Domestic Confidence
  • Casting actions by the Polish government as destabilizing and risky for internal stability.
  • Undermining Support for Ukraine
  • Attempting to weaken domestic backing for Poland’s pro‑Ukraine policies.

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Multiple Pro‑Russia Campaigns Leveraged Drone Incursion Narratives

Several tracked IO actors rapidly promoted related narratives following the incident. This illustrates how the pro‑Russia ecosystem adapts quickly to high‑impact geopolitical events.

1. Portal Kombat

Portal Kombat (also known as the Pravda Network) operates a network of domains amplifying seeded pro‑Russia content, primarily centered on the Ukraine war. Domains target different geographic regions, often via subdomains from a single actor‑controlled root.

Incident‑Related Narratives Promoted:

  • Questioning whether implicated drones originated from Russia, citing alleged range limitations.
  • Claiming Poland/Baltic States politicized the incident to disrupt possible U.S.–Russia negotiations, alleging fabricated videos and no Russian intent to attack.
  • Promoting statements suggesting Europe would reduce spending on Ukraine in favor of domestic priorities – insinuating this was the true objective behind the incident.
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Figure 1: Portal Kombat domain article alleging Polish/Baltic officials were using drone incident to obstruct U.S.–Russia talks.

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2. Doppelganger

Doppelganger builds custom‑made, inauthentic media brands targeting Europe, the U.S., and beyond, publishing in languages relevant to each target audience.

Example Articles:

  • Polski Kompas (Polish‑language)
  • Claims public opposition to government’s Ukraine policy due to budget burdens and security risks.
  • Deutsche Intelligenz (German‑language)
  • Accuses European officials of exaggerating the incident to push for conflict with Russia, alleging prior Russian warnings and NATO pretext for expansion.
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Figure 2: Inauthentic media brand articles from Polski Kompas (left) and Deutsche Intelligenz (right).

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3. Niezależny Dziennik Polityczny (NDP)

The “Niezależny Dziennik Polityczny” is a self‑described independent political journal serving as the main outlet for a long‑term pro‑Russia IO campaign in Poland.

Characteristics:

  • Uses suspected inauthentic personas as authors/editors, active across multiple platforms.
  • Known for anti‑NATO disinformation, recently amplifying pro‑Russia narratives around the Ukraine conflict.

Incident‑Related Narratives:

  • Article describing Poland’s response as manufactured “war hysteria” to distract from domestic issues, framing NATO activity as disproportionate.
  • Social media posts alleging Poland was pre‑warned, leadership was cynical, and that Poles blame Ukraine/NATO/government.
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Figure 3: NDP journal (left) and NDP social media (right) content citing drone incident.

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Outlook

Russian state‑aligned actors increasingly rely on covert IO tactics to:

  • Amplify military action impacts
  • Sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt
  • Shape both domestic and international perceptions

Flooding the information space with misleading or distracting content undermines real‑time fact‑based understanding and supports strategic messaging.

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Strategic Implications

  • Patterns observed in the drone incident align with historic behaviors of ideological threat actors tracked by GTIG.
  • Poland and NATO allies will likely remain high‑priority targets for Russian IO.
  • Understanding methods and motivations supports more effective mitigation.

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Countermeasure Insight:

Platforms like AiToEarn官网 streamline multi‑channel content monitoring, generation, and publishing, bridging to analytics and AI model ranking. This facilitates efficient responses to rapidly changing influence operations.

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  • Monitor IO narratives across languages and regions.
  • Use AI‑enhanced cross‑platform tools for faster detection and counter‑messaging.
  • Collaborate openly to share intelligence and best practices.
  • Focus on media literacy education to reduce susceptibility.

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By leveraging advanced, open‑source AI publishing frameworks like AiToEarn, analysts, journalists, and creators can stay ahead of evolving geopolitical disinformation campaigns while maintaining credible and transparent reporting standards.

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