Polish intelligence agencies remain vigilant and their procedures are working. Upon discovering a device that may have been used for recording in the room where the meeting of the Council of Ministers in Katowice was supposed to be held, the officers took prompt action.

“Every day, new information comes to light about various strange events that are directly or indirectly related to the aggressive presence of Russian and Belarusian intelligence agents in Europe. Poland is no exception, and that should not come as a surprise to anyone," Prime Minister Donald Tusk pointed out.

Every cabinet meeting is always carefully prepared, with particular focus on security. Our counter-intelligence agencies always check the premises to ensure that no wiretapping devices or explosives were planted. This time, we saw excellent use of the procedures and the Internal Security Agency is following up on the case.

The Prime Minister also mentioned Polish judge Tomasz Szmydt, who fled to Belarus and is seeking asylum there.

“Based on all the information collected by our counter-intelligence services, we are not dealing with a one-off stunt - this was long time in the making,” Mr. Tusk claimed.

According to Polish intelligence agencies, Mr. Szmydt had regular and direct access to classified information. He had also been in contact with the Belarusian side for a long time. This situation is of the utmost concern.

“We all need to be aware that the Belarusian intelligence agencies worked with somebody with direct links to the Minister of Justice, somebody responsible for the destruction of the judicial system in Poland, who had access to various classified documents which should have never been leaked to any intelligence agency,” Donald Tusk pointed out.

The people responsible for the destruction of the Polish legal system likely did so on purpose, since attempts to undermine the legal and democratic systems are also apparent in other European states.

“We see numerous attempts at undermining the legal and democratic systems by agents, provocations and cyberattacks. All of these activities are increasingly synchronised, and that makes it clear what goals Moscow and Minsk have in mind for the coming months,” the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has convened a meeting of the Committee for Intelligence Services, which will take place tomorrow (8 May). The meeting will be devoted to the alleged Russian and Belarusian influence on the Polish government in recent years.