Documents Found in a Landfill: Scandal About Ammunition Depots Unfolds in Poland

A scandal is unfolding in Poland over the leaks of military documents that were found in a landfill near an explosives depot.

Hundreds of pages with technical descriptions of the warehouses, ammunition evacuation plans, personal data of military and civilian employees, and deployment plans for units during exercises were obtained by Onet.

The documents included materials marked “Classified” that, according to Polish law, were supposed to be kept in closed military offices for at least five years. Some of the papers were destroyed, but a significant number remained intact.

The editorial team could not definitively confirm that the documents really came from a landfill, but this is not the first time that military records have been out of the army’s control.

General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski, former commander of the Euro Corps, called the situation an “atomic bomb” for the country’s security. He emphasized the systemic disorder in the army and raised the question of the responsibility of the unit responsible for protecting classified information. According to him, the documents should have been either destroyed by commission or properly archived.

Some of the documents are particularly sensitive and may be of interest to foreign intelligence. In particular, the technical description of the construction of explosives warehouses contains data on the area, volume, wall and roof materials – all without any classification.

A separate document describes the explosive hazard zones in each of the warehouses, and also contains a map of the administrative territory with the location of buildings, railroad lines, and facilities of two military units.

Another document, an ammunition evacuation plan in case of war, contains detailed information on the number, types, and weight of ammunition, transportation routes, security, and alarms.

Another file, “Meldunek,” describes the readiness of the depot for action in peacetime and wartime, including the number of personnel, types of weapons, and logistical capabilities.

The documents also contain instructions on how to organize the facilities during exercises: deployment of soldiers, protection of ammunition, use of communication terminals, and technical support. Even the names of the officers responsible for reconnaissance are listed.

Of particular concern is the leakage of personal data. One of the documents contains a complete list of warehouse employees, including those who have access to the electronic document management system. It is ironic that among them is a list of persons familiarized with the personal data protection policy.

The 2nd Regional Logistics Base, which is responsible for the warehouse, stated that the Onet editorial office has illegally created copies, and that the originals have been destroyed or archived. However, many documents have original seals, signatures and stationery numbers, which casts doubt on the official version.