Poland has arrested two Ukrainian men suspected of carrying out espionage and sabotage operations on behalf of Russian intelligence services, according to the country’s Internal Security Agency (ABW).
The agency said on Tuesday that the suspects had undertaken assignments for Russian special services, including reconnaissance of critical infrastructure and military facilities across Poland. Both men have been charged with espionage against the Polish state and acts of sabotage, prosecutors said.
According to the ABW, the investigation established that the two men had conducted activities targeting facilities considered strategically important to the country. Investigators also alleged that they deliberately set fire to vehicles after replacing their registration plates with numbers resembling those used by the Ukrainian military.
The suspects received payment for carrying out the assignments, including through cryptocurrency transactions, according to investigators. The authorities have not disclosed the identities of the detainees or provided further details about the locations and number of vehicles involved in the alleged arson attacks.
Prosecutors said the sabotage operations had been carried out at the direction of Russian intelligence services and were intended to provoke hostility towards Ukrainians in Poland.
“The investigation has established that the acts of sabotage were carried out at the behest of Russian intelligence services and were intended to fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment,” prosecutors said in a separate statement.
The ABW said the suspects had been tasked with gathering information about critical infrastructure and military installations throughout the country. The prosecutor’s charges relate to espionage activities conducted on behalf of a foreign intelligence service against the Republic of Poland, as well as the commission of sabotage.
If convicted, both men face prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.
The arrests come amid continuing Polish accusations that Russia and its ally Belarus are conducting a campaign of hybrid operations against the country. Warsaw has repeatedly accused the two governments of using sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation as part of efforts to destabilise Poland, particularly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations.
The allegations against the two Ukrainian men introduce a further dimension to Poland’s concerns about Russian intelligence operations, particularly the reported use of individuals to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage within the country. However, the charges against the detainees remain allegations, and their guilt has yet to be established in court.
The Russian Embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
