A former Warsaw city council employee stands at the center of a high-stakes espionage case that has shaken Poland’s national security community and underscored the ongoing shadow war between Russia and much of Europe. The man, known to the public only as Tomasz L. due to Polish privacy laws, has been indicted on charges of espionage and abuse of power, accused of providing Russian intelligence with the tools to create false identities for undercover operatives across Europe and beyond.
Authorities allege that between 2017 and 2022, while working in the archives of the Warsaw municipality’s civil registry—a nondescript but powerful post overseeing the records of births, marriages, and deaths—Tomasz L. systematically copied civil records of both Polish and foreign citizens. According to the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW), these records enabled Russian intelligence services to fabricate fake identity documents for their so-called "illegals"—spies operating under deep cover abroad.
"The data and documents obtained enabled foreign services to prepare legalisation documentation to build the identities of so-called illegals. He then passed this data on to a designated intelligence officer using covert radio communication. He had previously been trained in this area by Russian secret services," the National Prosecutor's Office stated, as reported by Rzeczpospolita and the Associated Press.
The story reads like something out of a Cold War thriller, but the stakes are all too real. Polish prosecutors believe that Tomasz L. was not acting alone, but was a key link in a sophisticated operation. The intelligence officer who received the stolen data worked at the Russian Embassy in Warsaw. That officer was expelled from Poland in 2022, part of a sweeping crackdown on Russian diplomatic staff suspected of espionage.
Polish authorities detained Tomasz L. in March 2022. His arrest did not occur in a vacuum. According to Rzeczpospolita, the information gleaned from his initial testimony helped trigger the expulsion of 45 Russian diplomats that same month. Then–Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński announced at the time that the diplomats were, in fact, Russian secret service agents operating under diplomatic cover. "Poland is breaking up Russian secret service agents in the country," Kamiński declared, as reported by the Polish press.
This move was not isolated to Poland. Around the same time, several other European Union countries—including Bulgaria and the Baltic states—expelled Russian diplomats amid similar accusations. The coordinated expulsions sent a clear message: Russia’s intelligence activities in Europe were under intense scrutiny following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But how did a municipal civil servant become enmeshed in an international spy ring? According to the ABW, Tomasz L. had been trained by Russian secret services in the art of clandestine communication. He allegedly used covert radio transmissions to pass sensitive data to his handler at the Russian Embassy. The data—names, birth dates, addresses, and other personal information—was precisely what Russian intelligence needed to construct convincing new identities for agents operating abroad. In espionage circles, such agents are often called "illegals" because they operate outside official diplomatic channels, blending into local populations under assumed identities.
After his arrest, Tomasz L. initially cooperated with investigators, providing testimony that helped unravel the broader network. However, he later exercised his right to remain silent, leaving many questions unanswered about the full extent of the operation and whether additional accomplices remain at large. He has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges, according to Polish authorities.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has accused dozens of individuals of espionage or sabotage on behalf of Moscow. The country, which shares a long and often fraught border with Russia’s ally Belarus, has become a frontline state in the intelligence war gripping Europe. The case of Tomasz L. is just one of many, but its details offer a rare glimpse into the mechanics of modern spycraft—and the vulnerabilities that can exist even in seemingly mundane corners of government bureaucracy.
The Polish Internal Security Agency’s statement emphasized the gravity of the breach, noting that the stolen data could have been used not just for intelligence gathering but potentially for sabotage or other covert operations. "The data and documents obtained enabled foreign services to prepare legalisation documentation to build the identities of so-called illegals," the agency reiterated. The potential ramifications are chilling: With convincing identity papers, spies can open bank accounts, rent apartments, or even gain employment in sensitive sectors, all while evading detection by local authorities.
Poland’s response to the incident has been swift and uncompromising. The expulsion of Russian diplomats in March 2022 was one of the largest such moves in recent memory. At the time, officials said the diplomats had been engaged in activities "incompatible with their diplomatic status"—a euphemism for espionage. The expulsions were coordinated with other EU nations, reflecting a broader sense of urgency about Russian intelligence operations in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.
According to the Associated Press, Polish authorities have made clear that the fight against Russian espionage is ongoing. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, dozens of individuals have been charged with spying or sabotage on Moscow’s behalf. Many of these cases remain shrouded in secrecy, but the case of Tomasz L. has brought the issue into sharp public focus.
The story has also resonated beyond Poland’s borders. European governments, already on high alert for Russian meddling, have stepped up security measures around civil registries and other sensitive databases. The fear is that other insiders, like Tomasz L., could be quietly aiding foreign intelligence services, creating new headaches for law enforcement and counterintelligence agencies.
As for Tomasz L., his fate now lies in the hands of the Polish justice system. He faces serious charges—espionage and abuse of power—that could carry lengthy prison sentences if he is convicted. For now, the details of his alleged activities serve as a stark reminder of the risks posed by insider threats and the lengths to which foreign intelligence services will go to penetrate European institutions.
While the full scope of the operation remains unclear, one thing is certain: The espionage case has prompted a reckoning in Poland’s approach to internal security, and it has sent ripples through intelligence circles across Europe. As the investigation continues, authorities are left to ponder just how many more Tomasz L.s might be hiding in plain sight.
