Warsaw (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Poland has detained two Ukrainians accused of collecting details of soldiers and critical infrastructure for foreign intelligence as Warsaw cracks down on alleged espionage by Russia and Belarus.
Poland claims that it has been subjected to tactics like arson and cyberattacks as part of a “hybrid war” carried out by Russia, aiming to destabilise countries supporting Kyiv in the Ukraine conflict. Moscow denies such accusations.
“This is evidence that we are witnessing an intensification of sabotage activities and preparations for sabotage cases,”
Siemoniak, the Minister in Charge of Special Services, said on Polish radio on Monday that Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained two Ukrainian citizens, aged 32 and 34, in the southern city of Katowice on October 14.
What intelligence activities were the suspects allegedly conducting?
The ABW stated that the suspects reportedly gathered information about members of the Polish Armed Forces and infrastructure connected to support efforts for Ukraine.
It stated that evidence was found indicating the suspects engaged in
“contracts for foreign intelligence, including reconnaissance of Poland’s military capabilities and the installation of devices for covert monitoring of critical infrastructure.”
It was stated that the suspects received payment for these services. A court has instructed that the suspects remain in custody for three months as they await their trial.
What other espionage cases have Polish authorities uncovered?
Tomasz Siemoniak also announced last week that Poland and Romania detained eight people, including the two Ukrainians.
Authorities across Poland detained eight individuals on suspicion of planning sabotage activities, according to a spokesperson from the National Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors have also charged one of the detainees, a Ukrainian citizen, with participating in a plot to send explosive materials to Ukraine.
In 2023, Polish authorities also arrested a man suspected of being part of a Russian spy network, according to Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski. This arrest increased the total number of individuals detained in the investigation into Russian espionage to 16, DW reported.
“Belarusian Mikhail A. took part in reconnaissance of military facilities and ports. He also carried out propaganda activities for Russia. He was taken into custody,”
authorities said.
The Polish government announced that the detained individual entered the country in 2021 and had ongoing contacts with Russian citizens, meeting them in Saint Petersburg and Crimea.
“The man often changed the means of communication and was destroying traces of his criminal activities,”
the statement added, stating that the 39-year-old suspect pleaded “partly guilty.”
In June 2023, Poland also arrested a Russian ice hockey player on accusations of espionage.
