The Intelligence Dilemma: Breach of State Security in the Rubtsov Affair

Before his trial in Poland, the GRU spy hired lawyers. Just prior to his exchange, prosecutors gave him access to investigation files, including secret ones...

1 August 2024 - At the Vnukovo airport notorious war criminal Vladimir Putin met spies of the Russian Federation returning to the motherland after a prisoner swap

Introduction

The case of Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov (widely known as Pablo González Yagüe), an officer of the Russian military intelligence GRU, and his access to secret documents of the Polish counterintelligence, has exposed serious gaps in the system of protecting classified information and the coordination of special services. General Andrzej Kowalski, former head of the Military Counterintelligence Service (Polish: Służba Kontrwywiadu Wojskowego; SKW) and the Military Intelligence Service (Polish: Służba Wywiadu Wojskowego; SWW), openly criticizes the actions of Polish services in an interview with Gazeta Polska Codziennie, which allowed such a blatant violation of security principles. He emphasizes that these mistakes can have far-reaching consequences for Poland's national security and intelligence relations within NATO. Simultaneously, articles published in Rzeczpospolita reveal details of this scandal, pointing to potentially catastrophic consequences for Polish intelligence structures and the entire NATO alliance. This article analyzes the multifaceted threats resulting from this case, based on expert opinions and available press materials.