US EditionWarsaw Threatens "Retaliatory Measures" After Belarus Detains Polish Monk Accused of Spying
Grzegorz G. faces espionage charges for allegedly collecting confidential Zapad-2025 military exercise data for Poland amid rising Belarus-Poland tensions.
- On September 5, 2025, Belarusian KGB detained Grzegorz G., a 27-year-old Polish monk born in Kraków in 1998, in Lepel, and Belarus 1 aired footage of his arrest.
- Belarusian authorities say he was arrested for spying related to joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises and seized a confidential eight-page printout, cash in multiple currencies, and a SIM card.
- Belarusian state TV alleged that the monk tried recruiting a Belarusian via social media, offering monthly payments and gifts described as coffee and chocolate, while local reporting noted he does not speak Russian or Belarusian and is linked to the Carmelite order .
- Poland's government rejected the claims as a provocation and said Poland's embassy in Minsk will take diplomatic and legal measures to assist the detained citizen, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk calling the charges `absurd`.
- The Zapad-2025 manoeuvres, set for September 12-16, involve 13,000 soldiers in Belarus and include planned use of Russian nuclear weapons and the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, drawing close Western attention given borders with Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Warsaw threatens "retaliatory measures" after Belarus detains Polish monk accused of spying
Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support. Belarus has announced the detention of a Polish monk whom it accuses of carrying out espionage on behalf of Poland in relation to upcoming Russian-Belarusian mi…
A 27-year-old Carmelite friar from Krakow has been detained in Belarus on suspicion of espionage. The Polish government, however, denies the friar is a Polish spy, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk himself called the allegations "absurd." A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs again called it a "provocation by Lukashenko's regime." "Polish secret services do not use friars to gather information about military exercises," explained Jacek Do…
According to the Belarusian news agency BelTA, the Pole admitted that he was looking for information about the upcoming military exercise Zapad 2025, which is being planned by the Belarusian and Russian armies this month. Shortly before his arrest, he allegedly obtained an unspecified secret military document. He also allegedly established contact with a Belarusian citizen via social media and offered him cooperation with the Polish secret servi…
On Friday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed the detention of a Polish monk in Belarus. "We will prepare retaliatory measures if this situation does not change, and we will do so very quickly. After Minister Sikorski's return, we will develop an action plan for Belarus for the coming weeks," he announced. Belarusian state television broadcast a report on Thursday concerning the detention of a Polish citizen. The article, "Donald Tusk on the d…
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its strong opposition to the detention of a Polish citizen by the Belarusian KGB, deeming the incident a provocation. Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński assured that the mission in Minsk will take all possible measures to support the detained compatriot. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced its immediate response, while Deputy Minister Marcin Bosacki emphasized that the matter is…
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