Full Breakdown
Poland Deports 11 Suspected Russian-Backed Operatives Targeting Ukrainian Refugees
6/29/2026, 10:25:02 PM
Operation Details
On 29 June 2026 Polish security services expelled nine Ukrainian citizens and two Belarusian citizens after the Internal Security Agency (ABW) concluded they had recruited Ukrainian refugees to stage anti-Kyiv protests funded by Russia. Arrests occurred in Warsaw, Wroclaw, Kraków, Zakopane and Bydgoszcz. The ABW said the suspects paid participants and used topics such as corruption scandals in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government to provoke demonstrations. In total, five Ukrainian men, four Ukrainian women and two Belarusian men were deported.
Context and Timeline
Poland has long warned that Russia conducts hybrid warfare—mixing sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation and covert influence—against its security. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Polish authorities have linked numerous incidents to Russian or Belarusian actors. An International Centre for Counter-Terrorism report released in March 2026 recorded 151 hybrid-war incidents in Europe, 31 of them in Poland, the highest national total. The ABW alleges the influence campaign began in autumn 2025, recruiting refugees and distributing funds. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski publicly described Russia’s “cognitive war” on 9 June 2026, before the 29 June arrests.
Official Responses
The ABW characterized the operation as “actions below the threshold of classic aggression” intended to “break down social trust, stoke tensions, and use people fleeing war as tools of Russian influence.” Sikorski framed the activity as part of a broader Russian effort to “weaken the will to resist” and undermine democratic values in Poland.
Opposition and Information Gaps
Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in the alleged campaign, and the Russian embassy in Warsaw did not respond to requests for comment on the expulsions. No public evidence directly links the suspects to Russian financing, leaving a key perspective undocumented.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The organisers aimed to gradually influence the Ukrainian refugee community in Poland and use this group to promote political slogans.” — Internal Security Agency (ABW) statement
- “This is an example of operations that fall outside of classic aggression, aimed at undermining public trust, fuelling tensions and exploiting people fleeing war as instruments of Russian influence,” — Internal Security Agency (ABW) statement
- “W ostatnich dniach w Warszawie, Wroclawiu, Krakowie, Zakopanem i Bydgoszczy funkcjonariusze @ABW_GOV_PL, we wspólpracy ze @Straz_Graniczna, zatrzymali pieciu Ukrainców, cztery Ukrainki i dwóch Bialorusinów.” — Jacek Dobrzynski, ABW spokesman (Twitter)
Outlook
Polish officials say the expulsions are part of an ongoing effort to counter foreign influence operations. The ABW has not announced further investigative steps, while European security services continue to monitor hybrid-war tactics targeting diaspora communities.
