Poland accuses Russia of recruiting Poles to destabilize elections

He shared this during an interview with RMF FM.

"Russian services have begun seeking out Poles to destabilize the country before the elections. I want to make this clear: any contact with foreign intelligence agencies is punishable by imprisonment," the minister warned.

He revealed that Polish authorities have evidence of Russian intelligence collaborating with darknet specialists, paying Poles for "activities against their own country."

Gawkowski stressed that even minimal contact with Russian intelligence counts as espionage. He also noted that, as of January, Russian military intelligence had been actively searching for Poles to involve in such operations. According to him, this kind of situation is unprecedented.

The minister promised to present a plan soon to safeguard Poland's elections from cyber threats.

• Poland’s first round of the presidential election is scheduled for May 18, 2025. A second round, if required, will take place on June 1.