Camilla Jessen
Hundreds of military files allegedly found in trash include maps of ammunition depots and personal data.
Poland’s Military Police have launched an official investigation following media reports that hundreds of classified military documents were discovered in a landfill, according to TVP World.
Military papers found in landfill
The Polish news portal Onet said it received a package containing the files, which allegedly include maps of ammunition depots, explosives disposal plans, and personal data of army personnel.
Sources who delivered the materials to Onet claimed they found them in a garbage dump, calling the discovery “a scandal with the effect of a nuclear bomb.”
Officials dispute authenticity
When Onet contacted the Regional Logistics Base — the military unit reportedly responsible for the materials — it was told that the news outlet was in “possession of illegally made copies” and that all originals had been “archived or destroyed in accordance with procedures.”
Onet rejected that explanation, stating that many of the documents appeared to be original, bearing official stamps, serial numbers, and signatures from military officers.
“This answer does not correspond to reality,” the outlet wrote.
What the documents allegedly contain
Among the files Onet received were:
- Detailed maps of ammunition and explosives depots
- Technical specifications for storage facilities, including construction materials and layouts
- Personal records of army staff and contractors
While some documents reportedly lacked confidentiality markings, the information itself could pose serious security risks if verified as authentic.
Military police and defense officials respond
A spokesperson for Poland’s Military Police confirmed to the state news agency PAP that an investigation is underway.
Officials from the Polish Armed Forces also said that once they became aware of Onet’s possession of the materials, the Regional Logistics Base launched its own internal probe.
The following day, on October 8, the Military Police were formally notified about the potential criminal offense involving individuals who had access to the classified material.
Possible breach or provocation?
According to a defense spokesperson, investigators will now work to determine whether the documents were properly destroyed and who had access to them prior to their disappearance.
“It will now be clarified whether the documents in question were destroyed in accordance with procedures and who had access to them,” the spokesperson told PAP.
An anonymous source close to the Ministry of National Defense told PAP that the case bears the marks of a “provocation,” though they did not specify who might be behind it.
Mounting questions over security protocols
The scandal has triggered fresh concerns over data handling and security practices within the Polish military.
If confirmed, the incident would represent one of the most serious classified material breaches in recent years — particularly troubling amid heightened regional security tensions following Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Authorities have not yet commented on whether the materials have been linked to foreign intelligence activity or internal misconduct.
Investigation ongoing
For now, the Military Police are working to verify the authenticity of the files and trace their chain of custody.
Officials have not ruled out that some of the documents could be forgeries or planted as part of an intelligence operation aimed at discrediting Poland’s defense institutions.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no arrests or charges have yet been announced.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
