The key facts
- Polish border guards, according to UNIAN, are requesting access to photos on Ukrainians' smartphones
- The trigger was a complaint from a woman who was required to show pictures confirming her stay in the country of departure
- Reports of phone checks at the border had appeared before
Photo checks at the border
Polish border guards have begun taking an interest in the contents of Ukrainians' smartphones as they cross the border. According to the UNIAN news agency, travelers may be asked to show photos from their personal gallery so that officers can verify the circumstances of their trip.
A traveler's complaint
The report was prompted by a complaint from a Ukrainian woman who faced an unusual inspection. According to her, a border service officer asked her to open the photos on her phone and show pictures confirming that she had indeed been in the country she was returning from.
The practice is not new, the context is tense
Reports of smartphone inspections at the Polish border have appeared before: they concerned checks of personal photos and other data that border guards could request during additional screening. The new UNIAN report indicates that this practice continues to be applied and affects ordinary travelers, not only cases of heightened control.
Background: a rise in attacks
Against this backdrop, Life.ru previously cited the words of Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine's ambassador to Warsaw: in the first half of 2026, Polish police recorded 180 cases of aggression and crimes against Ukrainian citizens — roughly 30% more than in the same period last year. The diplomat expressed concern and called for greater attention to the safety of his compatriots. These figures relate to the overall situation in Poland and are not directly connected to phone checks, but the outlet cites them as context for growing tension.
