WARSAW: Fifty-five people suspected of acting on behalf of Moscow have been detained in Poland since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Polish special services spokesman Jacek Dobrzynski confirmed all suspects were charged under Article 130 of the penal code pertaining to espionage and sabotage.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on X that eight people were detained across the country in recent days for allegedly preparing acts of sabotage.
Dobrzynski revealed three Ukrainian nationals were among the eight who allegedly created a network to transport explosives across Poland and Romania to Ukraine.
A 21-year-old Ukrainian was arrested near Warsaw while his two accomplices were detained by Romanian secret service in Bucharest.
Polish prosecutors stated the trio attempted under Moscow’s orders to prepare packages containing incendiary devices and chemical substances capable of causing explosions.
The packages intended to catch fire during transportation were intercepted by Romanian authorities in what prosecutors called a deliberate attempt to intimidate populations and destabilise European countries supporting Ukraine.
Poland has repeatedly accused Moscow of being behind several acts and attempted acts of sabotage since the invasion began.
Russia has consistently rejected all claims of involvement in sabotage activities.
In response to these incidents, Poland has imposed travel restrictions on Russian diplomats and ordered the closure of two Russian consulates in Poznan and Krakow.
As a NATO and EU member bordering Ukraine, Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, Poland serves as a crucial transit route for Western military supplies to Ukraine. – AFP
