Prime Minister Tusk confirms cyberattacks on Polish energy grid while US institute links incidents to Kremlin’s “Phase Zero” campaign.
Tusk Confirms Cyberattacks on Energy Grid
Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Poland faced cyberattacks on its energy network on December 29 and 30. According to Tusk, Poland successfully defended against attempts to destabilize its energy infrastructure, with critical transmission networks never being at risk.
“The Polish energy system is secured and resilient to attacks of this type,” Tusk assured. He acknowledged that “many indications suggest these attacks were carried out by groups linked to Russian intelligence services,” though he noted that definitive proof is unlikely to be obtained.
The attacks targeted the system managing electricity from renewable energy sources. Tusk emphasized that security systems at the affected locations functioned properly, minimizing negative consequences, and that the government is treating the matter with utmost seriousness.
US Institute Links Attacks to “Phase Zero”
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in a January 14 assessment that recent cyberattacks in Poland are part of a Kremlin campaign designated as “Phase Zero.” Analysts believe this campaign aims to create political, informational, and psychological conditions for a potential future war against NATO.
US experts first wrote about this Moscow campaign in October of last year, noting that Russia appeared to be accelerating “Phase Zero.” The ISW clarified that while it doesn’t assess whether the Kremlin has decided to initiate such a conflict, Russia is implementing long-term actions that may constitute preparations for war with NATO.
These actions include reorganizing military districts on Poland’s western border and expanding military bases near the Finnish border. “ISW has not observed signals indicating that Russia is currently preparing for direct, inevitable confrontation with NATO,” stated the autumn 2025 report.
Government Response and Security Measures
Following the urgent meeting with services, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Paweł Olszewski confirmed that discussions focused on the growing scale of cyberattack threats. “We talked about the scale and dynamics of threats, which have clearly increased in recent months, and about actions taken to effectively protect key systems,” Olszewski stated.
The deputy minister assured that the state is effectively addressing the situation, with security services remaining on alert and all actions adapted to evolving threats. He described the meeting as “substantial” and focused on coordinating services, enhancing system resilience, and strengthening cybersecurity.
Tusk also announced that the government is preparing additional security measures and is finalizing legislation on a National Cybersecurity System, which he hopes to implement as soon as possible.