Russia Exploits School Knife Attacks for Disinformation

Russia sought to exploit a series of violent school attacks in Poland to spread disinformation and sow panic, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has said, adding that Moscow sees a crisis and “immediately exploits it.” Poland, generally regarded as one of the EU’s safest countries, has been shaken by two knife attacks at schools in as many days, leaving one person dead and 11 others injured. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The violence has prompted school closures and heightened security measures, while rumors of further attacks circulating online have fueled anxiety among parents. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Kosiniak-Kamysz said he had received a report from Poland’s military cyber defense forces indicating that hostile actors were seeking to exploit the incidents. “Yesterday evening also saw a major disinformation campaign that was certainly intended to spread panic,” he said. The minister did not establish a direct Russian involvement in the attacks themselves, but said exploiting crises was a longstanding feature of Moscow’s strategy. “They see a crisis situation and immediately exploit it,” he said. Kosiniak-Kamysz cited Russian disinformation during devastating floods that swept through southwestern Poland in September 2024, killing nine people and causing widespread destruction. At the time, false claims that hundreds of people had died circulated online. Other Topics of Interest US Republicans Join Democrats in Warning Trump’s Russia Diesel Deal Will Hurt, Not Help Lawmakers from both parties warn that easing Russian diesel sanctions could fund Putin’s war, while a former US ambassador questions the economic benefits. Violence shakes schools On Thursday, a 15-year-old former pupil attacked staff at a primary school in Leszczydół-Nowiny, a village northeast of Warsaw, killing a 37-year-old janitor and injuring two others. The teenager was wearing a helmet-mounted camera, which officials believe he intended to use to record or broadcast the attack. A day earlier, a 19-year-old attacked people with a machete-like knife at a school in Ostrołęka, also northeast of Warsaw, injuring nine people. Police also detained a 17-year-old in the nearby town of Sierpc on Wednesday over an alleged plot to attack his school. All three incidents occurred in the Mazovia region, which includes the Polish capital. The violence prompted authorities in Wyszków municipality, which includes Leszczydół-Nowiny, to close primary schools and kindergartens on Friday, while other schools across the region canceled classes or switched to remote learning. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday warned of a growing “cult of violence” and the risk of copycat attacks, calling for police to patrol every school in the country at least once a day. No evidence of online challenge Meanwhile, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said on Friday that investigators had found no evidence supporting rumors that the incidents were linked to an online challenge encouraging young people to commit acts of violence. “We want to make it very clear that we have analyzed all electronic devices seized during the operation, and as of today, there is no evidence confirming reports of a challenge among young people,” Kierwiński said. He added that authorities had found no concrete evidence linking the three incidents. “I understand that emotions are running very high, but I urge everyone to rely exclusively on verified information,” he said, appealing to parents. Police had inspected 15,000 educational institutions nationwide and detained 19 people by noon Friday, with most cases involving what Kierwiński described as irresponsible behavior by young people. 59 detained nationwide Police said they had inspected nearly 35,000 educational institutions nationwide and detained 59 people by 5 p.m. Friday, as authorities stepped up security following the attacks. Around 24,000 police officers, supported by municipal guards, monitored schools and their surroundings throughout the day, while cybercrime officers and Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) monitored online activity. Police said officers had responded to 172 incidents involving reasonable suspicion of criminal activity and were continuing to monitor the internet around the clock. TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find our guest interviews, world news from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region.