Poland dismantles Russian operation paying Ukrainian refugees to protest

The Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) uncovered an operation financed by Russia that paid Ukrainian refugees to organize protests. As part of the operation, nine Ukrainian and two Belarusian citizens were detained and deported. According to ABW, these individuals had been recruiting protest participants among Ukrainian refugees living in Poland since the autumn of 2025 and paying them. The aim was to increase social tension and undermine trust. Poland has become a primary target of Russia's hybrid warfare tactics; facing actions such as sabotage, disinformation, espionage, and cyberattacks.

The operation was carried out simultaneously in various cities across Poland: Varşova, Wrocław, Kraków, Zakopane, and Bydgoszcz. Those detained included five Ukrainian men, four Ukrainian women, and two Belarusian men. ABW spokesman Jacek Dobrzyński announced on social media that the suspects were apprehended "in recent days" and deported. It was stated that these individuals paid refugees from funds coming from Russia in exchange for participating in protests. ABW stated that the protests were shaped around emotional issues, specifically using corruption scandals in Ukrainian domestic politics and current events.

Poland stands out as one of the most intense targets of Russia's hybrid warfare strategies. In recent years, the country has faced Russia-backed sabotage attempts, disinformation campaigns, espionage activities, and cyberattacks. ABW emphasized that this latest operation was part of the activities described by Moscow as "actions below the classic threshold of attack." The purpose of such actions was declared to be undermining social trust, creating tension, and turning people fleeing the war into tools of Russian influence operations.

Approximately one million Ukrainian refugees and hundreds of thousands of other Ukrainian migrants live in Poland. This community is among the groups targeted by Russia. Previously, it had been determined that members of the Ukrainian and Belarusian communities in Poland were used in operations such as espionage or sabotage on behalf of Russia. The president of ABW had warned Ukrainians in a call made last year not to work as Russian agents. This latest incident is considered another example of Russia's strategy of exploiting refugee communities.

Polish authorities continue their fight against Russia's hybrid warfare tactics. ABW stated that such operations would continue and that they would act decisively against any activity threatening the country's security. Detailed information has not yet been shared regarding the identities of the deported individuals and exactly which protests they organized. However, officials emphasized that Russia's efforts to create instability in Poland by using Ukrainian refugees were thwarted. This incident went down on record as an indicator of the growing awareness against Russian influence operations in Europe.