Sixteen people connected with Russian intelligence detained in Poland
8 August, 2023 Illustrative photo of an operator of the Internal Security Agency of Poland. Photo from open sources Poland's Internal Security Agency has detained sixteen people linked to Russian intelligence.
Stanislaw Zaryn, Secretary of State and Deputy Minister Coordinator for Special Services, announced this on Polish Radio. "The agency managed not only to identify and detain the spies, but also to investigate and identify the modus operandi used by the Russians in this type of activity against Poland," Zaryn said. According to Zaryn, Polish counterintelligence works very efficiently.
Illustrative photo of a soldier of the Internal Security Agency of Poland, photo of 2021.
Photo credits: Government of Poland
"Our counter-intelligence manages to effectively find out how the Russians operate, this is definitely a great success of our services. But, unfortunately, it is too early to rest on our laurels. The Russians are still looking for ways to destabilize and weaken Poland," Zaryn added.
The arrests were made after the March disclosure of a group of nine Russian spies who were engaged in destabilizing the political situation in Poland. In addition, spies collected data on the movement of military aid through the territory of Poland and prepared diversions to disrupt supplies. The citizenship of the detainees has not been disclosed, but the Polish special services have hinted that they are from the East.
Illustrative photo of a soldier of the Internal Security Agency of Poland, photo of 2022.
Photo credits: Government of Poland
The detainees received money for their work from the Russian special services. It can be assumed that Zaryn had in mind the detention of these Russian spies, and then, according to his statement, other agents or their accomplices were exposed. Meanwhile, Russia's ally Belarus puts pressure on the Polish border.
As Militarnyi previously reported, Belarusian Mi-8MTV-5 and Mi-24 helicopters breached Polish airspace.