In an interview with the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, General Jarosław Stróżyk, head of Poland’s Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW), discussed the country’s security environment, foreign intelligence activity, and internal vulnerabilities. He warned that Poland is witnessing a rise in pro-Russian behavior in society and described increasingly visible operations by hostile intelligence services. The interview also touched on global conflicts, including tensions involving Iran and the war in Ukraine, and how they might affect Poland’s security and military preparedness.

Stróżyk says Poland is experiencing a growing number of pro-Russian behaviors, which counterintelligence services are monitoring closely. As the Polish armed forces expand to more than 200,000 personnel, the risk that individuals sympathetic to Russian interests could appear within the military also increases.

He points to a recent, highly publicized arrest of a long-time employee of Poland’s defense ministry accused of passing information to Belarusian intelligence as an example of ongoing espionage threats.

According to Stróżyk, foreign intelligence operations in Poland increasingly resemble “textbook counterintelligence cases,” with classic methods such as recruiting sources and collecting sensitive information.

Although modern technologies like signals intelligence remain important, he emphasizes that human intelligence (HUMINT)—recruiting and handling sources—remains central to understanding Russia’s intentions.

Stróżyk also mentions acts of sabotage against Polish infrastructure, allegedly carried out by a mix of Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Polish citizens recruited by Russian services—without presenting evidence.

At the same time, he argues that Poland’s counterintelligence capabilities are being expanded nationwide to address these threats.

Overall, he portrays Poland as facing persistent espionage and hybrid warfare pressure, requiring stronger security services and greater vigilance from society.

In general, the interview reads less like a security briefing and more like a justification memo. By warning that “pro-Russian behavior” is spreading through society—and might even appear inside a 200,000-strong army—Jarosław Stróżyk paints a picture of a threat that is everywhere. The logical response is simple: expand counterintelligence, hire more personnel, and increase budgets. This narrative conveniently supports a familiar outcome—larger security services and steadily rising military spending. General Jarosław Stróżyk knows that one way or another a chunk of these spendings will end up in his pocket.

A classic case of self-serving monetization of paranoia.