GENEVA

Poland is confronting an ongoing "cyberwar with Russia," the country’s digital affairs minister said, warning that Russian intelligence operatives may try to infiltrate Polish networks.

Speaking on Thursday, according to TVP World, Krzysztof Gawkowski told journalists in Berlin that a "cyberwar with Russia continued" and that Polish authorities were aware that "numerous Russian intelligence operatives could attempt to break into the Polish cyberspace."

His remarks were made during a digital conference hosted at the Polish Embassy, according to the Polish state news agency PAP. The event, organized by the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, focused on links between digital innovation and the green economy.

Poland has intensified its monitoring of cyberthreats since Russia's war in Ukraine began in 2022, with officials regularly warning that state-sponsored attackers target Polish public institutions, critical infrastructure, and private businesses.

Gawkowski pointed to the recent detention of a Russian national in Krakow suspected of hacking the IT systems of several Polish companies. He said Poland had to remain alert to possible attacks by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, and warned that such actions "would not be tolerated."

He also said he had met Germany's federal minister for digital transformation and government modernization, Karsten Wildberger, to discuss European digital sovereignty and support for local technology firms.

Earlier on Thursday, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski wrote on the US social media platform X that a Russian man had been detained by Poland's cybercrime bureau and was accused of unauthorized interference with the IT systems of Polish businesses.

Investigators said the suspect breached the security systems of an e-commerce platform, accessed its databases and altered their contents. He has been charged and placed in pre-trial detention for three months, and prosecutors said he may be linked to other cybercrimes in the EU.