Former GRU Colonel Popov Founded a Company in Poland and Rubbed Shoulders with the Opposition. But He's Not the Only One Raising Suspicions

An investigation by the Disinfo Digest portal (a project of the INFO OPS Polska Foundation, which specializes in researching the influence of foreign propaganda and disinformation on the Polish information space) details Polish companies that may be part of a covert system of Belarusian and Russian special services.

Popov – Architect of the Cover Infrastructure

Volodymyr Popov is the central figure in the investigation. In the past, he was a lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Belarus, awarded for impeccable service, and an employee of the highly trusted Presidential Security Service. His career was associated with operations of the highest state level: from guarding Vladimir Putin's visits to participating in the evacuation of the overthrown President of Kyrgyzstan.

After 2020, according to the investigation, Popov tried to infiltrate the environment of the Belarusian opposition, which found itself in exile in Poland. The later mysteriously disappeared Anatol Kotau was in close contact with him.

From the passport database obtained by the "Cyberpartisans", it follows that Popov had cover passports under various names, using them to obtain visas and travel, including to the European Union.

Popov and Kotau once jointly founded LLC 'Spadchyna2019' ('Nasleyddze2019').

Павялічыць

The authors point out that in 2022, Popov attended the Forum of Democratic Forces in Warsaw — a murky initiative by Valery Tsapkala, Dzmitry Balkunets, and Volha Karach, aimed against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel Latushka. According to the Polish publication, for a former officer, this might not have been a political event, but an opportunity to gather information about representatives of the Belarusian opposition, their contacts, and relationships.

In connection with the forum, the authors of the investigation particularly draw attention to the figure of Dzmitry Balkunets.

Павялічыць

Another episode of the investigation was the NOAB company, registered by Popov in Warsaw in November 2023.

He registered it under his own name, not using a cover passport — jointly with his younger son as a limited liability company.

The company was established with a capital of 5000 zloty (approximately 1150 euros), operated through a virtual office, and yet in its first year showed an income of about half a million zloty (approximately 150 thousand dollars) without signs of real economic activity. This is characteristic of structures intended for legalizing funds for intelligence needs.

According to the authors, the technological support for the structure created by Popov was provided by his son Maksim, who lives in Warsaw. He previously worked for Synesis, a company known for developing the KIPOD system — a platform for mass surveillance, biometrics, and automatic facial recognition.

Павялічыць

The Inconspicuous Company GameMod

The investigation also describes the company GameMod, registered in Poland and linked to a Belarusian firm of the same name — a resident of the High Technologies Park in Minsk. Officially, the company develops custom computer and console games.

Journalists point out that among the individuals associated with the Polish company, Dzmitry Pabyarzhyn, former press secretary of the Belarusian KGB, is mentioned.

Before appearing in Poland under its current name, the company operated in Minsk as YURANEX-security, and one of its directors was Aliaksandr Ramanouski, whom journalists describe as a person connected with the Belarusian KGB.

The change of profile — from a security company to a computer game developer — coincided, according to their version, with the appearance in the project of people whose biographies are connected with Belarusian security forces.

Павялічыць

However, the authors acknowledge that after 2020, many Belarusian IT companies did indeed transfer part of their business to EU countries to maintain access to Western clients and financial services. Such a practice in itself does not raise suspicions.

However, a similar scheme can also be used as a cover if former intelligence officers or people connected to them are among the beneficiaries.

The authors suggest that the gaming industry can be a convenient environment for such operations. It allows for legally hiring technical specialists, organizing international teams, maintaining extensive professional contacts, and moving employees between countries without raising suspicions. In their opinion, precisely such legal structures can be used as a cover for activities that go far beyond computer game development.

Read also: The missing Anatol Kotau was a partner of the highest-ranking Belarusian intelligence officer who moved to Poland. This might be the key to solving his disappearance

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