A Ministry of National Defense employee has been arrested on suspicion of spying, with officials revealing his identity and background.
Arrest and Charges
The arrest is the result of a multi-month operational investigation. Coordinator of special services Jacek Dobrzyński stated that counterintelligence obtained “powerful, incriminating information” against the suspect. The charge under Article 130 § 2 of the Penal Code concerns acting on behalf of foreign intelligence and transmitting information whose disclosure could harm the state.
General Jarosław Stróżyk noted this is the first such case since the 2023 amendment of laws that significantly tightened sanctions for espionage. According to him, this indicates the seriousness of the case and the significance of the suspicions.
Suspect’s Profile
The arrested individual worked at the MON since the mid-1990s, serving as an official in key departments responsible for strategy, defense planning, and international security. General Stróżyk emphasized he was a graduate of a philology program at the University of Warsaw.
The head of SKW noted that during his long career, the suspect was also associated with a key department in the Polish General Staff. He participated in numerous conferences and business trips abroad, including extended periods.
Security Implications
The suspect had access to materials marked “secret.” The last security check by the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) was conducted in 2021. The knowledge he possessed, covering planning and strategic processes, had significant operational value from the perspective of foreign intelligence services.
Asked about potential damages, General Stróżyk emphasized that revealing specific categories of information would indicate potential state weaknesses. Ongoing analyses are determining what materials may have been transmitted and what corrective actions are needed to minimize their value to foreign intelligence.
Investigation Context
The case will be discussed in a closed session of the parliamentary committee on special services. Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the prosecutorate are leading the investigation. At this stage, “no scenarios can be ruled out,” including the possible existence of a larger network.
Recent years have seen a series of arrests of individuals suspected of espionage activities on behalf of Russia and Belarus. In 2023, ABW dismantled a network operating for Russian intelligence, and in 2022, a Spanish citizen and journalist Pablo González was arrested on suspicion of cooperating with Russian military intelligence.
Legal and Security Gaps
Public reports have emerged of the suspect’s trips to Belarus. General Stróżyk noted that current law does not prohibit civilians from traveling to specific countries, though he suggested considering mechanisms to limit such travel for individuals in key security positions.
Simultaneously, he emphasized that SKW checks all individuals associated with the Polish Army and the defense ministry, including both territorial defense soldiers and high-ranking civilian officials. Following organizational changes initiated in 2024, the service has 27 units and regional cells across the country.
