Special Services

The Government Plenipotentiary for the Security of the Information Space of the Republic of Poland, during a joint press conference with the Government Spokesman, Piotr Müller, noted that the actions taken by the Polish services after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine significantly limited Russia's ability to conduct operations in our country. These include the expulsion of 45 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover, the detention of 9 suspected collaborators with Russian or Belarusian services, entry bans for Russian propagandists, and the introduction of a Polish sanctions list. However, despite these limitations, Russia continues to pursue its intelligence targets against Poland.

The Russian services use the visits of Poles in the Kaliningrad Oblast for activities aimed at obtaining intelligence information – the Government Plenipotentiary for the Security of Information Space of the Republic of Poland Stanisław Żaryn informed at the joint press conference with the Government’s Spokesman Piotr Müller.

The reconnaissance shows that Polish citizens going to the Kaliningrad Oblast are summoned under various pretexts for talks during which they are interrogated by officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB). The Russian service collects information on the purpose of travel, contacts, and also tries to gain access to documents, bank cards and the contents of mobile phones. The FSB is also interested in details about their personal lives. Polish citizens are subject to the so-called soft blackmail and intimidation.

The Russians are interested in the social moods in Poland, the assessment of the policy of the Polish authorities, the attitude of the Polish public to the Russian war against Ukraine, as well as information on the presence of troops near the border with Russia and the construction of a protective barrier on the northern border of the Republic of Poland. Some of the interviewed Poles receive a questionnaire to fill out with questions about the Russian "special operation" in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, the tragic incident in Przewodów in November 2022, and even the temperatures in apartments in Poland.

The purpose of Russian activities is to obtain intelligence data for the needs of the Russian regime, to work out Poles with contacts in the Kaliningrad Oblast, as well as to collect information to be used in propaganda activities.

Polish citizens who travel to Russia, in conversations or in the case of interrogation, should not provide information about Poland's defense and security, as well as information of a personal nature or about other persons. It is also important to protect the documents you have with you. You should avoid talking to random people, as well as not repeating rumors and unverified messages.

After returning to Poland, people who have become the object of activities of the Russian services, or have such a suspicion due to participation in strange meetings or conversations, are asked to contact the Polish services.