“New Wine in Old Wineskins.” Who would you expect to use such a title — and why? What comes to mind first? Few might have guessed that this phrase would headline a post published on the official profile of… the Polish Armed Forces General Staff.
Let’s start with the war being waged for our minds — a war many believe we are losing. We are losing because Russian disinformation agents are increasingly forcing their way in.
“In cognitive warfare, the human mind becomes the battlefield. The aim is to change not only what people think, but how they think and act. Waged successfully, it shapes and influences individual and group beliefs and behaviours to favour an aggressor’s tactical or strategic objectives. In its extreme form, it has the potential to fracture and fragment an entire society, so that it no longer has the collective will to resist an adversary’s intentions. An opponent could conceivably subdue a society without resorting to outright force or coercion” — explain experts from Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London on NATO’s website.
Dr. Agnieszka Szczygielska, in her article “Cognitive Warfare – Sources and Key Features” (Bellona, 1/2025), writes:
“Russia, long recognised as a leader in information, disinformation, and psychological operations, is effectively using new technologies to manipulate social perception both at home and abroad. The narratives promoted by Russia aim to undermine Western unity, distort the reality of the conflict (Russia’s attack on Ukraine) and sow discord within democratic societies.”
�� Read the article on Bellona
One of Russia’s primary objectives in its cognitive warfare against Poland is to make Ukraine and Ukrainians appear repulsive to Poles — and such efforts are becoming increasingly aggressive.
“Beware of an intensive Russian cognitive operation aimed at destroying warm and positive Polish–Ukrainian emotional relations and inciting anti Ukrainian sentiment in Poland,” the General Staff of the Polish Army warned at the end of October 2025 in a statement, titled “New Wine in Old Wineskins,” who h references a parable from the Gospel.
“Over the centuries, everything has already been invented when it comes to building hostile propaganda and disinformation. Therefore the ‘new wine’ represents today’s geopolitical situation; the ‘old wineskins’ are the age-old tools used to shape public moods and influence citizens’ decisions. The concept of #CognitiveWarfare is new, but the range of activities remains the same — only organised into new definitions and new task-force structures— wrote the Polish military.
They continue: “The purpose of such operations is to saturate our society with fear and a sense of threat. The goal is to redirect these emotions toward Ukraine – seeking a return to their comfort zone, Polish citizens might pressure their leaders to make decisions contrary to the national interest.
“A Russian psychological operation is underway, stirring up Polish fears and historical grievances, as well as envy and dislike between the two nations,” the statement warns.”
The post concludes with a reminder:
“Is fecit, cui prodest — he who who benefits is guilty:
the enemy is in the East — and that enemy is Russia;
cutting Poland off from Ukraine would ease Russia’s war effort; every action that weakens support for Ukraine (through narrative or emotional manipulation) serves Russia’s aggression.”
It is also important to remember that Russia simultaneously incites hatred toward Poland and Poles within Ukraine. Dr. Łukasz Adamski, deputy director of the Juliusz Mieroszewski Centre for Dialogue, told PAP: “I can see the presence of such disinformation here as well, only this time directed against Poles.”
“This month, I gave an interview to a popular Ukrainian radio station and appeared alongside editor Bogdan Rymanowski. While reviewing comments during the broadcast, I noticed a post that read: ‘Adamski is a Ukrainian agent — but an intelligent one.’ Meanwhile, under the Ukrainian-language version of the same interview, a comment from the same account stated: ‘Adamski is an agent of the Polish special services’” – he added.
By Igor Hrywna
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