Internal Security Agency officers, in cooperation with the Border Guard, detained nine Ukrainian citizens and two Belarusian citizens who, according to the services’ findings, were organizing paid demonstrations in Poland among Ukrainian refugees. All detained individuals were immediately expelled from the territory of the Republic of Poland.
According to the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the actions of the detainees were allegedly part of an influence operation inspired and financed by the Russian Federation. The aim was to generate social tensions, undermine trust, and influence the mood of both Ukrainian refugees and Polish society.
Arrests have been made in recent days in Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków, Zakopane, and Bydgoszcz. The operation was carried out in conjunction with Border Guard officers.
Participant recruitment and funding from Russia
According to the Internal Security Agency’s findings, the detainees maintained contacts with individuals residing in Russia and Belarus. Since the fall of 2025, they have been recruiting participants for demonstrations organized among Ukrainian refugees living in Poland and paying them compensation for their participation.
According to information provided by the Internal Security Agency, the financial resources intended for organizing the demonstration came from the Russian Federation.
Investigators indicate that the organizers exploited topics that evoked strong public sentiment, including reports of corruption scandals and current political events in Ukraine. This was intended to gradually build influence within the refugee community and leverage it to promote specific political messages.
Element of Russian influence operation
According to the Internal Security Agency, the case is part of hybrid activities conducted by Russia, the aim of which is not direct military aggression, but the destabilization of countries supporting Ukraine.
The service emphasizes that using people who fled war to organize protests inspired from abroad is part of broader disinformation and influence operations aimed at deepening social divisions, intensifying tensions, and undermining trust in state institutions.
At this stage, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) has not announced any criminal charges against the detainees. Administrative decisions regarding immediate expulsion from Poland have been executed against all of them.
Source: ABW.
What do you think about this story?
Join the conversation. Please keep comments relevant to the article.
Write a comment