A Bydgoszcz resident indicted for allegedly gathering strategic intelligence for Russian intelligence from 2024-2025.
Indictment and Charges
A man identified as Wiktor Ź. was arrested by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) in June 2025 and remains in custody. The National Prosecutor’s Office concluded its investigation and filed an indictment against him, carrying a potential sentence of eight years to life imprisonment.
The National Prosecutor’s Office stated that the investigation revealed Ź. not only declared willingness to act for a foreign intelligence service but also actively collected and transmitted information of strategic importance to national security.
Strategic Targets
According to the prosecution, his activities spanned from February 28, 2024, to April 30, 2025, both within and outside Bydgoszcz. Evidence indicates the information concerned national defense infrastructure and NATO military cooperation.
National Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Prok. Przemysław Nowak listed key targets: Port Lotniczy Bydgoszcz S.A., Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 S.A., NITRO-CHEM S.A., and the NATO Joint Forces Training Centre in Bydgoszcz.
Investigation Details
Ź. was arrested on June 4, 2025, during an ABW operation and has been in detention since. The prosecution notes his explanations and legal stance remain undisclosed due to ongoing investigation secrecy.
Earlier findings suggest ideological, not financial, motives for his actions, raising concerns about foreign intelligence recruitment through propaganda.
Broader Context
The investigation, led by the Bydgoszcz ABW delegation under the Mazowiecki Department supervision, resulted in charges for both offering cooperation and transmitting threatening information.
Ź.’s case fits a pattern of Russian espionage activities in Poland. Recent cases include a Hrubieszów man sentenced for espionage and weapon possession, a former soldier accused of disinformation in Russia, and a defense ministry employee suspected of cooperating with Russian and Belarusian intelligence.
Bydgoszcz hosts critical NATO infrastructure, including a training center for multinational operations and key military/industrial facilities like aircraft plants and explosives manufacturers.
Polish counter-intelligence services have intensified efforts against foreign espionage, especially since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, targeting information on NATO’s military capabilities and strategic infrastructure.
Ź.’s indictment represents a step in authorities’ efforts to counter security threats, with the final judicial decision pending.
