The Court of Appeal in Białystok upheld four-year prison sentences each against a Russian and a Belarusian who were responsible for conducting espionage activities for Russian military intelligence. The findings show that one worked in organizing parachute training, and the other worked in the tourism industry. The judgment is final.
Four years in prison. Such a verdict was heard today before the Court of Appeal in Białystok by a Belarusian and a Russian who were accused of conducting espionage activities for Russian military intelligence.
The court thus upheld the judgment passed in the first instance. The period of detention and arrest was included in the sentence.
A final judgment has been passed Laura Maksimowicz/ TVN24
They were detained in April 2022
The investigation into this case was conducted by the military affairs department of the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw. The charges concerned conducting espionage activities for Russian military intelligence in the years 2017-2022. According to the prosecutor's office, the defendants collected information about Polish military units, their deployment, development, equipment and personnel situation, as well as allied military units.
Both men were detained in April 2022 and temporarily detained.
Information about combat ability, morale
“Based on the materials collected by the Military Counterintelligence Service and the material collected during the investigation, it was established that they took part in the activities of Russian military intelligence by identifying military facilities of critical importance for the defense of the Republic of Poland, as well as by obtaining information about combat capabilities, morale and the functioning of their units, including in times of threat, and then providing the above-mentioned intelligence service with the information obtained,” the prosecutor's office informed, filing the indictment at the end of 2022.
He was brought to the court in Białystok because the activities covered by the charges took place in this voivodeship.
Both foreigners stayed in Poland legally. According to the findings of the investigation, the Belarusian – initially studying at one of the universities in Białystok and then taking up work organizing parachute training – established contacts, including social ones, which he used in his activities for the Russian military intelligence. The second defendant allegedly performed activities for Russian intelligence under the guise of cultural activities and tourism.
Information on actions in connection with the migration crisis
Additionally, as prosecutors found, this espionage activity was focused on military units located in north-eastern Poland.
According to investigators, the defendants' task was to identify important elements of the Polish Armed Forces and obtain information, in particular regarding the tasks of Polish Army soldiers in the area of the border with Belarus in connection with migration crisisthe number of soldiers performing tasks in the border area and the structure of subunits, the use of specialized equipment by Polish armythe state of morale and operational capabilities, or the cooperation of military units stationed in north-eastern Poland with the troops of other countries NATO.
Main photo source: Laura Maksimowicz/ TVN24