Polish government faces security concerns after publishing sensitive military equipment photos.
Tusk’s Visit to Huta Stalowa Wola
On Monday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Huta Stalowa Wola, where self-propelled howitzers KRAB, Infantry Fighting Vehicle BORSUK, and Remotely Controlled Turret System 30 mm (ZSSW 30) are produced. During the visit, Tusk recorded a viral video in which he referred to opponents of the SAFE program as “blockheads.” Among the photos published by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, elements of the produced equipment were visible, specifically the turret body of the ZSSW-30.
Security Concerns Expressed
“The photograph of the ZSSW-30 turret body should not have been made public. Besides, this is not the first such case. Previous governments have also made such mistakes,” commented Antoni Walkowski from the Defence24.pl portal. “Photos of this type should never be published. The military usually ensures that sensitive data, such as details of fire control systems, information systems or special armor, never see the light of day.”
Official Response
As Huta Stalowa Wola reports on its website, the Remotely Controlled Turret System is “intended to combat, destroy or incapacitate in various weather conditions, regardless of the time of day, lightly and heavily armored targets and other enemy objects, including its infrastructure, and to provide fire support to subunits during combat operations.”
Similar Incident Involving President
Similar doubts regarding the publication of photos with potentially sensitive information arose in December. The National Security Bureau had published a statement about a meeting of President Karol Nawrocki with soldiers of the Polish Army and Border Guard officers serving on the eastern border of Poland. In one of the photos, the president was seen standing with soldiers at a table where there was a map.
Official Justification
Former commander-in-chief of the armed forces, now Senator Gen. Mirosław Różański commented: “The President of Poland may not know it, the head of the BBN should, but we have the right to require officers to know the law on the management of sensitive information. Publishing photos with maps that inform about an operation discredits the people in the photo.”
The National Security Bureau explained on the X platform that “the photos from the visit of the President to the eastern border of Poland do not reveal any sensitive data, especially since they were taken in controlled and agreed-upon places with the military.”
