Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) confirmed on 27 October that it arrested two Ukrainian citizens in Katowice earlier this month on suspicion of collecting intelligence on Polish troops and critical logistics hubs that funnel Western aid to Ukraine. According to Special-Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, the pair were paid to film military bases and transport corridors, work that prosecutors say was ordered by a foreign intelligence service operating out of Belarus and Russia.
The incident is the latest in what Warsaw calls a ‘hybrid war’ of arson, cyber-attacks and sabotage aimed at NATO’s eastern flank. Since the start of 2025 the ABW has opened more than 90 counter-espionage investigations and now routinely vets foreign subcontractors who service rail terminals, fuel depots and military warehouses near the Ukrainian border. Multinational defence contractors and logistics providers moving goods through Poland should expect more onsite ID checks and background screening of non-EU staff, especially those holding Ukrainian, Belarusian or Russian passports.
For global mobility teams the immediate impact is higher scrutiny at residency- permit renewals and slower security-clearance processing for Ukrainian assignees. Polish employers are being advised to audit access-control systems, update staff travel protocols near sensitive infrastructure and train employees on how to respond to ABW interviews. While the government insists legitimate Ukrainian workers remain welcome, immigration lawyers report that work-permit adjudications are already being delayed by one to two weeks as additional security queries are run.
Business travel is also affected. Rail operators running the critical Małaszewicze freight hub—the main land bridge into Ukraine—say cargo escorts have doubled in cost, and drivers face random vehicle searches on the A4 and S19 corridors. Companies moving high-value or dual-use goods should budget extra transit time and be prepared to document end-use certificates at short notice.
Looking ahead, Siemoniak told Polish Radio that Warsaw is working with EU and NATO partners on a common ‘insider-risk’ watch-list that could be deployed at Schengen border crossings. If implemented, that database would give Polish border guards advance notice of foreign nationals flagged for possible industrial or military espionage, potentially tightening entry for contractors who change employers frequently.
The incident is the latest in what Warsaw calls a ‘hybrid war’ of arson, cyber-attacks and sabotage aimed at NATO’s eastern flank. Since the start of 2025 the ABW has opened more than 90 counter-espionage investigations and now routinely vets foreign subcontractors who service rail terminals, fuel depots and military warehouses near the Ukrainian border. Multinational defence contractors and logistics providers moving goods through Poland should expect more onsite ID checks and background screening of non-EU staff, especially those holding Ukrainian, Belarusian or Russian passports.
For global mobility teams the immediate impact is higher scrutiny at residency- permit renewals and slower security-clearance processing for Ukrainian assignees. Polish employers are being advised to audit access-control systems, update staff travel protocols near sensitive infrastructure and train employees on how to respond to ABW interviews. While the government insists legitimate Ukrainian workers remain welcome, immigration lawyers report that work-permit adjudications are already being delayed by one to two weeks as additional security queries are run.
Business travel is also affected. Rail operators running the critical Małaszewicze freight hub—the main land bridge into Ukraine—say cargo escorts have doubled in cost, and drivers face random vehicle searches on the A4 and S19 corridors. Companies moving high-value or dual-use goods should budget extra transit time and be prepared to document end-use certificates at short notice.
Looking ahead, Siemoniak told Polish Radio that Warsaw is working with EU and NATO partners on a common ‘insider-risk’ watch-list that could be deployed at Schengen border crossings. If implemented, that database would give Polish border guards advance notice of foreign nationals flagged for possible industrial or military espionage, potentially tightening entry for contractors who change employers frequently.
