Sophisticated False Alarms Target Polish Officials, Hinting at Hybrid Warfare

Polish authorities are investigating a series of sophisticated false emergency calls that have targeted prominent figures, including the mother of President Karol Nawrocki. These incidents, characterized by precise timing and advanced technical methods, are raising alarms about potential foreign interference and hybrid warfare tactics.

In a recent incident, emergency services, responding to a false report of a fire and a child in danger at the president's mother's apartment, broke down the door. Inside, only animals were found. A similar false alarm occurred the day before at the residence of Sławomir Cenckiewicz, former head of the Presidential Security Bureau. While Cenckiewicz's case involved an email, the Nawrocki incident utilized a mobile phone, with perpetrators demonstrating a clear understanding of when the residents would be absent.

Investigators suspect the use of an "onion router" – a technology designed for anonymous internet communication – to send the false SMS messages. This method, which involves multiple layers of encryption, makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to trace the origin of the communication, including the IP address and the sender's location. "We know who the phone is registered to. We are determining the person's whereabouts and their connection to this event," stated prosecutor Mariusz Duszyński, spokesperson for the Gdańsk prosecutor's office, which has launched an investigation.

Law enforcement sources believe these coordinated false alarms, which have also targeted journalists, may be part of a broader Russian hybrid warfare operation. The goal appears to be to test the resilience of the Polish state, potentially causing security systems to become desensitized to real threats, thereby creating vulnerabilities for future attacks. The chaos and emotional escalation associated with such incidents could also serve to weaken the vigilance of emergency services.

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We know who the phone is registered to. We are determining the person's whereabouts and their connection to this event.