GRU agent Pablo González/Pavel Rubtsov was detained in February 2022. He was then arrested. Frontstory.pl reported that the spy was not alone at the time of the Internal Security Agency’s action. He was accompanied by a Polish journalist who was his partner. The woman was supposed to visit the Sejm, report on the situation at the border and prepare materials on espionage. The journalist and the agent were to be linked for two years. Famous journalists were to appear at the couple’s apartment. The spy claimed to work for the Spanish media. Rubtsov recently returned to Moscow. He was among those who were exchanged with Russia for Western political prisoners.
The journalist was accused of aiding and abetting espionage. Magdalena Ch. has collaborated with, among others, France24, CNN, Al Jazeera, Euronews and “Tygodnik Powszechny”. Law and Justice-friendly portals, such as Niezalezna.pl, accuse the woman of spreading a narrative that could be pro-Russia. For example, with regard to the migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. The portal wPolityce.pl, citing former Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz, explained that it was similar to the topics of LGBT-free zones and the Constitutional Court’s decision on abortion. However, the journalist may not have been aware of her partner’s activities, and the above-mentioned topics were covered by all liberal media outlets in the country and abroad.
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Świrski’s letter to Tusk
On Tuesday evening, the National Broadcasting Council announced a letter from President Maciej Świrski to Prime Minister Donald Tusk “on taking joint action to protect Polish broadcasting and television against the activities of Russian services that pose a threat to the country’s security.”
– On August 12, 2024, an article was published on the Frontstory.pl website entitled “Putin’s Magnet”. This publication refers to the activities in Poland of the Russian GRU officer Pablo González/Paul Rubcow, who was detained by the Internal Security Agency in 2022 and was in Polish custody, and then, on August 1, 2024, was handed over to the Russian side in a prisoner exchange operation, among others. for German and American citizens. According to the publication, a Polish journalist cooperated with this official and was charged with aiding and abetting espionage. – notes the head of the National Broadcasting Council.
The President of the National Broadcasting Council warns of the consequences of the espionage scandal. – The publication “Magnets with Putin” indicates that GRU officer Pablo González/Paul Rubtsov, during his several-year stay in Poland, among other things “was investigating the circles of journalists and correspondents”, probably including downloading data from their electronic devices. Here The Russian GRU service probably received a lot of data and information from the “environment of journalists and correspondents”, including potentially sensitive or compromising information.which can then be used as a tool to influence these people (e.g. by threatening to disclose or publish them). This influence may include, for example, recommending not to discuss topics that are important for the Polish state or to describe them taking into account the interests of a foreign (e.g. Russian) state, or carrying out disinformation activities, including: presenting true facts in a false or manipulated context. Consequently, the activities of Russian services could directly influence the shape and nature of radio and television broadcasting in Poland in the coming years, and indirectly, among others, on Poland’s internal and external security, Świrski argues.
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Therefore, the head of the National Broadcasting Council appeals to the Prime Minister for cooperation. – Taking into account the above, on the basis of art. 6 section 2, point 1 of the Act of 29 December 1992 on Broadcasting (“The tasks of the National Council include, in particular: 1) defining, in consultation with the Prime Minister, the directions of State policy in the field of radio and television broadcasting;”) I call on the Prime Minister to take measures in consultation with the National Broadcasting Council to prevent the above-mentioned risk.. Without taking appropriate measures, it is feared that in the coming years public opinion may be shaped by people under the influence of the services of a foreign country – appeals Maciej Świrski.
