by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
WARSAW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Polish authorities on Tuesday detained a Defense Ministry official accused of spying for Russian and Belarusian intelligence services in one of the most significant espionage cases to surface within the government since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, officials confirmed.
The 60-year-old official worked in the ministry’s strategic planning division and was placed under long-term military counterintelligence surveillance before his detention, according to senior security sources. If convicted of treason, he could face life imprisonment under Polish law.
Officials say Poland’s role as a key conduit for Western military aid to Kyiv has made it a prime target for foreign intelligence operations since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“This is about betraying the country,” said special services spokesman Jacek Dobrynski, warning that cases involving Polish citizens have increased alongside arrests of foreign nationals accused of working for Moscow and Minsk.
The arrest came the same day a Polish national was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for providing security information on Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport to Russian intelligence — information prosecutors said was intended to aid an assassination plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
MAIN HUB TARGETED
Security analysts note the airport’s strategic significance as one of the main hubs for the transfer of Western weapons and humanitarian assistance into neighboring Ukraine, and as a key stopover point for foreign dignitaries traveling to and from Kyiv.
Polish and Ukrainian authorities have previously confirmed that a separate foiled 2024 plot involved a retired Polish soldier who allegedly offered services to Russian intelligence, including gathering data at the Rzeszów airport.
Poland has repeatedly warned of extensive “hybrid warfare” efforts targeting its territory, including espionage, sabotage, and cyberattacks tied to Russia’s broader campaign to undermine international support for Ukraine.
In recent months, Warsaw has also detained other suspected agents and launched proceedings against individuals linked to covert operations involving explosive-laden parcels intercepted in Europe, which prosecutors say were intended to damage cargo or passenger flights to North America.
The latest arrests underscore escalating security concerns about the NATO military alliance’s eastern flank as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year.
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