Polish agencies report surge in foreign intelligence operations

Polish security services say Ukrainian intelligence agencies have intensified spying and recruitment activities in Poland since Russia's full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Officers quoted by the newspaper *Rzeczpospolita* described efforts to infiltrate Russian and Belarusian circles, as well as to enlist Ukrainian nationals and Poles working for humanitarian or business missions in Ukraine. One officer said, “Są namawiani do przekazywania wrażliwych danych, do wynoszenia informacji z polskich firm lub urzędów, w których są zatrudnieni.” Polish prosecutors have opened confidential investigations into these activities.

In a separate case, a Russian opposition activist and artist known as Vladvictoria – real name Robert Kuzowkow – was shot dead in Biała Podlaska, Poland. Former deputy head of the Military Counter‑Intelligence Service (SKW), Colonel Marek Utracki, called it “a planned Kremlin operation.” Police have detained two Belarusian citizens, suspecting involvement of Russian security services and possibly Chechen “kadyrovtsy.” The murder underscores the reach of foreign state‑linked actors on Polish soil.

Both incidents highlight growing foreign intelligence operations in Poland, prompting heightened vigilance by Polish authorities.