A senior member of the Polish government has accused Russia of trying to recruit Poles on the dark web in an attempt to influence Poland's presidential election campaign.
According to foreign media, the European Union and NATO member state have previously warned of the risk of Russian interference in the mid-May elections, but Moscow has consistently denied interfering in foreign elections.
Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said Russia was looking for Polish citizens willing to influence the campaign from within the country, offering them 3,000-4,000 euros (£2,519-£3,358) to spread content containing disinformation.
Gawkowski said the recruitment was being done through the dark web, a part of the internet accessible only using a specialized web browser. According to him, Poland has been observing such efforts since the beginning of the year.
"This is money coming from the Russian GRU and FSB services, which are looking for such clients to implement their plan here," Gawkowski said, referring to Russia's military intelligence and the Federal Security Service.
Moscow did not immediately comment on his comments, A2 CNN writes.
Poland said this month it had identified a Russian group tasked with influencing Polish elections through disinformation and fomenting instability.
Warsaw says its role as a hub for Ukrainian supplies to defend against Russian invasion has made it a target for spies working for Russia and its ally Belarus, as well as for acts of sabotage. Minsk and Moscow have denied accusations that they are behind the acts of sabotage.
In December, NATO and European Union member Romania canceled presidential elections following accusations of Russian interference, which Moscow denied. (A2 Televizion)