Poland Expels 11 Individuals Over Russia-Funded Protests Among Ukrainian Refugees
Polish security services deport nine Ukrainians and two Belarusians accused of recruiting protesters with Russian financial support.
Poland has expelled eleven individuals—nine Ukrainian and two Belarusian nationals—accused of orchestrating protests among Ukrainian refugees using funds allegedly provided by Russia. The operation was conducted following intelligence reports from Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW), which uncovered a recruitment campaign for demonstrations financed by Russian sources.
According to the ABW announcement released on June 29, the deportations followed coordinated arrests in various Polish cities, including Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków, Zakopane, and Bydgoszcz. The agency stated that since autumn 2025, these individuals had been recruiting and paying participants to take part in protests organized within the Ukrainian refugee community residing in Poland.
Political Influence Through Protest Movements
"The organizers aimed to gradually influence the Ukrainian refugee community in Poland and leverage this group to promote political slogans," the ABW said. The protests reportedly centered on emotionally charged topics such as corruption scandals in Ukraine and other domestic political issues.
"The goal was to use the protest movement to propagate political messages aligned with Russian interests," the agency noted.
This action is part of a broader pattern of alleged Russian interference in Poland. In February 2024, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of potential infiltration by Russian agents into farmer protest movements. Officials suggested that anti-Ukrainian slogans emerging during those protests were attempts by groups possibly controlled by Russian intelligence to seize influence.
Moreover, in May 2023, the investigative group "Dossier," associated with Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky, reported that Russian authorities had launched disinformation campaigns across the European Union. These campaigns aimed to sow discord among NATO partners, particularly France and Turkey, and to foster hostility toward Ukrainians in EU countries.
The latest expulsions underscore ongoing concerns about Russia's attempts to destabilize political and social cohesion within European countries hosting Ukrainian refugees amid the conflict in Ukraine.
