Ad

Defence Policy

East Front News #30: Defence24 Days 2025, New Armored Vehicles for the Polish Army; Protection against disinformation

East Front News #30; 31.01.2024 r.
East Front News #30; 31.01.2024 r.
Photo. Defence24

East Front News is a weekly newsletter summarizing the past week’s most important events concerning security and the situation in the Central and Eastern Europe region. It includes original opinions and comments, along with key news items significant from a Polish perspective. If you would like to receive this newsletter, please sign up by clicking .

"Defence24 Days 2025: Central Europe's Premier Defence and Security Summit"

The Defence24 Days 2025, Central Europe’s premier defence and security conference, will take place on May 6th-7th, 2025, at the iconic National Stadium (PGE Narodowy) in Warsaw, Poland. Held under the patronage of the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland and during Poland’s EU Presidency, this event will gather high-ranking politicians, senior military officials, industry leaders, and international delegations to address pressing global security challenges. With Poland hosting the Three Seas Summit in 2025, this year’s conference holds special geopolitical significance, positioning the country as a focal point for regional and global defence dialogues. The event will also feature an ambitious program of panels, discussions on regional security strategies, technological innovation, and military industry advancements. 

The conference is expected to surpass the high benchmarks set by the 2024 edition, which included 70 discussion panels, 400 distinguished speakers, and over 3,500 participants from 50 countries. Keynote speeches from international officials, including the Polish Minister of Defence and NATO representatives, will establish the framework for strategic collaboration. Past speakers have included, among others, Prime Ministers, Ministers of Defence, and Senior Military Officials such as General Martin Herem (former Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces), who emphasized the importance of building resilient armed forces to counter current threats. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, praised Defence24 Days, stating: „Defence24 Days once again brought together 3,000 people in Warsaw (…) This is the largest conference of its kind (…) I would like to thank once again the organizers, the President of Defence24, the entire Defence24 team, and everyone who contributes to preparing this extraordinary conference.” Jim Stokes, NATO Director of Nuclear Policy, also underscored the event’s importance, emphasizing its role in fostering strategic dialogue, enhancing awareness of NATO Nuclear Deterrence strategies, and addressing critical security challenges in an evolving global security environment. 

Defence24 Days 2025 will provide an unparalleled platform for policymakers and industry leaders to explore defence innovation, strengthen cooperation, and address the challenges of an increasingly volatile global environment. With Poland assuming a key leadership role in Europe in 2025, the event serves as a strategic opportunity to advance collaboration and resilience in the defence and security sectors. 

Join us at the National Stadium in Warsaw on May 6th-7th, 2025, for two days of unparalleled insights, collaboration, and networking opportunities. For more information and updates, visit  Defence24Days.com.

    'Election umbrella' as protection against disinformation

    The Polish government has presented an election protection plan. The programme, under the slogan »Election umbrella«, is intended to protect the campaign against disinformation, Russian influence, but also, among other things, the risk of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. In mid-January this year, the Minister of Digitalisation Krzysztof Gawkowski indicated that adverts targeting Poles whom Russia wants to recruit to destablize the situation inside the country were appearing on the darknet - Russian special services are thought to be behind the whole action.  

    The »Election umbrella« is intended to cover the election period and protect the country in terms of hostile activities in cyberspace, including in the context of disinformation. The programme is expected to cover a range of activities such as: analysis of social media platforms, real-time involvement of citizens in the content reporting process, monitoring regarding violations of the electoral silence, mapping of illegal campaign financing, monitoring of accounts related to the dissemination of illegal content, a series of educational materials and videos on disinformation and techniques for securing the electoral process. A total of several million PLN is to be allocated for information activities in the »Election umbrella« programme. 

    The Ministry of Digitalisation is to work in close cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, specifically with the Internal Security Agency. Among the initiatives to be undertaken by the Internal Security Agency are listed: countering intelligence, diversionary and terrorist threats, monitoring cyberspace or assessing the security of ICT networks operated by election committees.  

    Ad

    Borsuk IFV Procurement Contract Imminent. Competitors for Heavy IFV

    During a conference held at the Ministry of National Defense on 30th January, 2025, information was shared regarding the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) programme.

    In response to a question from Defence24.pl about signing the first executive contract for the Borsuk IFVs, Deputy Minister of National Defense Paweł Bejda explained that the reason the contract had not yet been signed was the initial price proposed in the offer from the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ).

    However, with negotiations currently ongoing, the Ministry of Defense (MON) expects the contract to be signed not within months or weeks, but within days. Will this actually happen? Time will tell, as negotiations are still in progress. Nevertheless, both MON and PGZ are certainly committed to bringing the program to a successful conclusion.

      Merger in the Polish Defence Industry

      PIT-RADWAR S.A. has announced plans to acquire Military Communication Works No. 2 (Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności Nr 2, WZŁ-2). The merger plan has been agreed upon, approved, and signed by the management boards of both companies. According to information published by the company regarding the merger plan, the merger will involve an increase in PIT-RADWAR’s share capital from PLN 459,651,130.00 to PLN 466,639,340.00. The merger will be executed through the absorption of WZŁ-2 by PIT-RADWAR, with all assets of WZŁ-2 transferred to PIT-RADWAR in exchange for shares that PIT-RADWAR will allocate to WZŁ-2 shareholders.

      PIT-RADWAR is a manufacturer of radar, air defence, ELINT/ESM and C2 systems while WZŁ-2 focus mainly on C2 systems and their components. Both companies belong to Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (Polish Armaments Group, PGZ).

        Homar-K Delivered Ahead of Schedule

        Polish Minister of Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, announced the delivery of 18 additional modules for the Homar-K multiple rocket launcher system to Poland.

        The weapon modules of the K239 Chunmoo system, manufactured in the Republic of Korea, are being transported to Poland for integration into the Homar-K multiple rocket launcher. In addition to the weaponry, the Polish launcher consists of the Jelcz P882.57 TS T45 base chassis, the integrated Topaz fire control system, the Fonet digital communication system produced by WB Group, and numerous other domestic components. The integration process takes place at the Huta Stalowa Wola plant. Recently, Defence24.pl reported that 12 of the 16 Homar-K Battalion Fire Modules (DMOs) will also be equipped with WB Force Protection systems, designed for reconnaissance and protecting battalions from aerial threats.

          The Rwandan-Congolese conflict and the Polish issue

          On January 27, 2025, there was another escalation between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwandan-backed March 23 (M23) rebel movement. The conflict entered a new phase after a ceasefire signed in mid-2024. Currently, M23 fighters operating alongside the Rwandan Armed Forces have managed to capture the town of Goma in the North Kivu province in eastern DRC. OSINT data suggests that the Rwandans are currently heading towards Bukavu in the South Kivu province. 

          The conflict in the DRC involves many international actors – the countries of the Great Lakes region, the Republic of South Africa and the UN mission MONUSCO. The Romanian side (mercenaries employed by the President of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi) and the Polish side (sale of GROT rifles to the Rwandan side) also have their traces in the armed operations. Polish-made Grot rifles reached Africa through contracts signed in May 2022 and September 2023 by Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa. In the past, the DRC government reported that Congolese soldiers managed to document the fact that the Rwandan side and the M23 movement used Polish weapons. 

          Further escalation of armed clashes may lead to the proliferation of Polish weapons in the theater of operations, which may be particularly dangerous in a region where non-state actors such as the Islamic State in Central Africa (ISCAP) operate, or armed groups that murder civilians. In addition, Poland may become the victim of hostile information campaigns aimed at creating an image of Warsaw as a country that destabilizes the international situation by moderating regional conflicts. 

          Ad

          Russian influence in presidential election

          With Poland’s presidential election approaching, Russia is stepping up its activities in the infosphere to influence Polish society. On Tuesday, the government unveiled an election protection plan called »Election Umbrella« to safeguard the campaign against disinformation, Russian influence and the risk of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. The programme is expected to – as announced – cover a range of activities, including detecting disinformation in Poland, analysing social media platforms for content and responding to illegal postings, involving citizens in real time in reporting content, or monitoring for violations of electoral silence. 

          At a press conference on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitalisation emphasized that threats of disinformation and foreign influence ahead of the upcoming elections are greater than in the past. „The number of incidents that are reported to Polish services in 2024 has increased by more than 100 per cent compared to 2023. Poland is the most attacked country in the European Union in terms of incidents. So in terms of interest in the election process in 2025, I expect it to be many times higher than in 2024, despite the fact that there were already records in 2024. And we saw this particularly during the campaign to the European Parliament”. Gawkowski stated that actions taken by the Russian Federation will be based on informational and psychological influence, giving the examples of propaganda, like; Poland will run out of oil, polish government is planning to start a mobilisation but also a cyberattack on the Polish Press Agency. The Prime Minister also pointed out that AI tools could be used for disinformation purposes, e.g. to create deepfakes. 

          On the other hand, the Minister of the Interior and Administration referred to Russian disinformation targets. He believes, that all actions will be focused on stirring up division in Polish society and between Poland and its allies, such as NATO, EU, USA or Ukraine. The minister also indicated that Russian actions aimed at influencing the political situation in Poland are expected to increase. „There are certain numbers, they show that there are more of these attacks, while qualitatively it is difficult to measure,” the head of the Interior Ministry explained. 

          If you would like to receive this newsletter, please sign up by clicking.

          East Front News is a weekly newsletter and article on Defence24.com summarizing the past week’s most important events concerning security and the situation in the Central and Eastern Europe region. It includes original opinions and comments, along with key news items significant from a Polish perspective.

          Aleksander Olech, PhD & Jakub Palowski, Deputy Ed. in Chief, Michał Górski

          Ad
          Ad

          Komentarze

            Ad
              Ad