A ban on photographing certain strategic sites — both military and civilian infrastructure — has come into effect in Poland.
Starting April 17, it is prohibited in Poland to take photographs of military facilities as well as specific civilian infrastructure — such as power plants, railways, airports, and bridges — without obtaining special permission.
The relevant regulation by the Ministry of Defense was adopted on March 27 and published on April 3. It provides the legal basis for law enforcement agencies to take action against individuals photographing or filming strategic objects or movable property of a similar nature. The document also outlines how restricted sites should be marked and the process for obtaining permission to photograph them.
The responsibility for determining which objects fall under the ban lies with the authorities managing them.
Penalties for violating the ban include fines ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 zlotys, confiscation of the equipment used for the photography, or arrest for up to 30 days.
“This is a very important issue for our military, as the security situation has changed… We are observing activities aimed at gathering information about our critical infrastructure. We’ve found photos related to the positioning of our troops and units in the possession of detained agents,” said Chief of the Polish General Staff, General Wiesław Kukuła.
