Poland’s security agency says it has unveiled Russian anti-EU spy ring

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Wednesday's raids on the homes of opposition politicians in Warsaw and Tychy by Poland's internal security agency (ABW) were linked to an investigation into Russian espionage against EU states and bodies, the spokesman for the minister of coordinator of special services said in a statement on Thursday.

"The activities carried out are the result of the international cooperation of the ABW with a number of European services, coordinated in particular with partners from the Czech Republic. As a result, activities aimed at organizing pro-Russian initiatives and media campaigns in EU countries were documented.

"The aim was to implement the assumptions of the Kremlin's foreign policy, including weakening the position of Poland in the international arena, discrediting Ukraine and the image of European Union bodies," Jacek Dobrzynski said in a statement on the ABW website.

"In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, an international website, voice-of-europe.eu, was launched, where articles, statements, comments and interviews with a tendentious, pro-Russian tone related to the current international situation are published, including the war waged by Russia against Ukraine,” the statement said.

“A man placed among Polish and European parliamentarians performed tasks commissioned and financed by collaborators of Russian intelligence, which included, among others: propaganda, disinformation activities and political provocations. Their goal was to build Russian spheres of influence in Europe,” it added.

The properties of ex-Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro – architect of the Law and Justice (PiS)-led government’s judicial reforms that drove the EU to withhold bloc funds for Poland – were included in the swoop. Others were opposition MPs Michal Wos, Marcin Romanowski, and Dariusz Matecki.

At the end of January, Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar established an investigative team at the National Prosecutor's Office to examine the management and spending of money from the Justice Fund.

Czech civilian counterintelligence, the Information Security Service, has also revealed a network organized by Russians that tried to influence the European Parliament elections. According to Czech media, the network allegedly influenced politicians in six countries: Poland, Hungary, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

The editors of the Denik N website, who contacted sources familiar with the matter, wrote that money was transferred in Prague to politicians of the German AfD. No further details were provided for the remaining countries.