Military documents, including maps and personnel data, were found discarded in trash across Poland in October 2024, triggering investigations and governmental cleanup promises.
Military Documents Discovered in Waste Dump
On 23 October, Polish online portal Onet reported a second breach of confidential military documents within a week. The papers, stored in plastic bags at a local waste dump, included detailed maps of military depots, evacuation plans for explosives, operating procedures, technical descriptions of munitions storage, personnel data, and deployment plans for a unit during exercises.
The 2nd Regional Logistics Base oversees the site, and the Military Police are conducting a formal investigation. Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz characterised the breach as serious, while authorities say the loss is not yet confirmed and may be a provocation.
Second Case: Documents Left on Agricultural Plot
In October 2024, a plot owner in Suwałki found a heap of waste containing data on soldiers from the eastern flank and other state‑security sensitive information.
The waste supposedly had been disposed of by a company renovating military buildings; however, the company left the debris on Mr. Jacek’s property instead of transferring it to the military. The company owner, Arkadiusz K., has been under investigative detention in Szczecin since last year, and a prosecutorial inquiry has been pending since 2021, details of which the Military Counter‑Intelligence does not disclose.
No Support from Authorities
Mr. Jacek notified the Suwałki prosecutors in February 2025. By April the investigation into lawful waste disposal was closed after experts assessed that the trash posed no health risk and the documents did not breach data‑protection laws.
In May local authorities reminded Mr. Jacek of his responsibility as plot owner to remove the waste. Appeals to the Military Police were unsuccessful, and after filing a complaint with Military Counter‑Intelligence he reported that assurances of contact via the encrypted Signal app had not materialised.
General Promises Trash Will Be Cleared
Media coverage in October prompted the 1st Mazurian Artillery Brigade commander, General Robert Matysek, to promise Mr. Jacek that all trash would be removed from his property. The general said the cleanup decision was made within minutes upon receiving the notification, and the debris would be cleared by Thursday, 23 October.
He added that he was unaware of the incident until informed, as he has commanded the brigade since February. The general noted the documents were not classified and did not contain military‑sensitive information. Some soldiers voiced concerns about personal‑data disclosure, but the general described the situation as either complete irresponsibility or deliberate action, summarizing in the interview that “scandal” is too small a word for the event.
