The recent release of Russian spy Paweł Rubcow as part of a prisoner exchange has stirred significant controversy and debate in Poland. This incident is not an isolated case; it follows a pattern of releasing GRU agents in the name of political dialogue with Russia.
Paweł Rubcow, an officer in Russia’s military intelligence service GRU, was apprehended by Polish authorities at the Polish-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022. Masquerading as a Spanish journalist under the alias Pablo Gonzalez, Rubcow was ostensibly gathering information in Ukraine and attempting to reach Russian opposition figures. However, his activities extended beyond journalism. He actively engaged in disinformation campaigns, portraying Poland as the most homophobic country in the EU and undermining its democratic reputation on the global stage.
Following the announcement of Rubcow’s release, opposition politicians in Poland voiced their outrage. They criticized the decision as a cheap concession and questioned the impact of Rubcow’s activities within Poland. Marcin Przydacz, a PiS MP, highlighted Rubcow’s role in a significant disinformation operation in 2020, which aimed to depict Poland as a backsliding democracy. This campaign included false narratives about “LGBT-free zones” in Poland, which created a negative perception of the country internationally.
Historian Professor Sławomir Cenckiewicz draws parallels to previous incidents involving GRU officers. In November 2008, during the early days of Donald Tusk’s government, Poland handed over two GRU officers, Aleksiej Karasajew and Siergiej Peresunko, who had been operating under diplomatic cover. Their case, initiated in 2007 during the tenure of Antoni Macierewicz and Andrzej Kowalski at the SKW, culminated in mid-2008 with their expulsion from Poland without espionage charges. This move was justified by the then SKW head as part of an ongoing political dialogue with Russia.
The recent prisoner exchange, which took place in Ankara and involved 24 individuals from seven countries, including Poland, has reignited discussions about the handling of GRU agents. This exchange, the largest since the Cold War, saw ten individuals, including two minors, relocated to Russia, with the rest distributed among Germany, the USA, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus.
As a retort, Cenckiewicz mocks the cooperative relationship between Polish and Russian security services, particularly the SKW’s partnership with the FSB. This collaboration was said to be ostensibly free from the “controversies” associated with espionage. Yet, releasing spies like Rubcow raises questions about the nature and consequences of such diplomatic engagements.