Former service officer warns of Grzegorz Braun. "Russians can usage this"

“We are at war with Russia”

Torches, assassinations, diversions, disinformation actions online and attempts to influence elections. List of Russian services activities The last series of fires in Poland is proof of this.

In the conversation with Mateusz Baczyński, erstwhile Deputy Head of SKW and expert of the Stratpoints Foundation, Colonel Maciej Matysiak leaves no illusions: we are at war with Russia.

— The Russians have been heavy engaged physically, kinetically and cybernetically in all the countries they see as their opponents for over a decade. It began in 2014 in the Czech Republic with a bombing and detonation in weapons and ammunition warehouses, which were prepared to support Ukraine. GRU officers were identified as bombers beyond uncertainty – translator Colonel Maciej Matysiak.

— Since then, we have a full series of events that, in the area of conventional spy, diversion, sabotage and terrorism, the Russians have been implementing with expanding strength in many Western European countries and in the United States. In addition, there is an impact on the election process, due to the fact that it is definitely confirmed, specified as participation in Brexit or in the presidential elections in the United States," he adds.

“Russians will recruit everyone”

Colonel Maciej Matysiak explains that Russian services are trying to recruit agents in various environments – from criminal groups to political circles.

— If an chance like this happens, then Russian intelligence can recruit anyone. Of course, there are categories of people of greater value, specified as the anticipation of influencing the political situation, or with access to applicable information for the Russian side," he emphasised.

— I'll give you an example. recruiting a German intelligence officer BND, specifically the head of the electronic reconnaissance department, which was revealed 2 years ago as a Russian spy, and his middlemen in contact with the Russians were people associated with the AFD. As a result, the Russian services had a full overview of electronic reconnaissance data that collected German civilian intelligence in the Russian direction – he reports.

— And if it is essential to recruit individual to set fire to, or set up a camera — whether it is simply a Pole, a Belarusian or a Colombian — it will be done. Recently, we have, for example, a designated Colombian citizen who has been recruited and trained by the Russians and committed specified acts of panic in Poland or in the Czech Republic. So now the Russians carry out a full scope of activities in terms of recruiting people and utilizing all kind of tool – noted erstwhile Deputy Head of SKW.

“We even see the assembly of militias”

— The modus operandi of Russian services, in terms of negative effects on its opponents, has not changed since the dawn of history. In the 1960s and 1970s, erstwhile we besides stood on the dark side of power, the Russians utilized any group with leftist and liberal orientation to influence Western states. Today, this communicative has changed in relation to people who have specified an highly right-wing haul," explains Colonel Maciej Matysiak.

— In Poland we could mention even mainstream politicians, including the Euro MP who creates specified circumstances. We even see the assembly of militias, and we do not know whether it is simply a political and ideological conviction of these people, whether it is besides aroused and utilized by our opponents. So this is the next social area that the Russians can use," he argues.

— We are not unique in this respect. I could mention here apparent examples of German and French. AFD in Germany is clearly pro-Russian. Same in France, ma'am Marine Le Pen and her National Front, and indirectly financed by the Russians," he adds.

Piotr Nowak / PAP

Grzegorz Braun

Braun's targeting the service?

So are openly pro-Russian politicians – such as Grzegorz Braun – should they be of interest to peculiar services? Colonel Matysiak is cautious in this regard.

“We are very powerfully demarcation policy here and we are talking about strict control of peculiar services, besides due to the fact that in the erstwhile strategy peculiar services were a tool of social and political oppression and surveillance. And we have not yet grown out of this concern, so we pay very close attention to these aspects. That is, erstwhile we contact on the issue of politicians, we think that if there are no very strong reasons, then the peculiar services should not do so, due to the fact that this can be seen as political surveillance, as the expert explains.

— On the another hand, those who are aware of this and who are afraid with politics are treating specified a trend as a anticipation of efficient action, even if they have very bad ideas and reasons, due to the fact that they are aware that services are rather “deployable” to make any policy,” he adds.

— Democracy has its weaknesses in this area, if this can be called weakness. But these are besides the achievements of democracy. We do not want to be like the Russians, we do not want to be an authoritarian state, a police state and control everything against all citizens on any pretext. Is that a weakness? In part, yes, but this is besides our strength," said Colonel Matysiak.

The full conversation in the video.