Poland arrests suspected saboteurs amid fears of Russian ‘hybrid warfare’

Authorities have arrested eight individuals across Poland on suspicion of espionage and sabotage.

In a brief statement on social media, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that the case is developing and that “further operational activities are ongoing” without providing further details.

The arrests come amid accusations that Russia is operating a network of spies and saboteurs across Europe.

Referring to the prime minister’s post, the coordinator of Poland’s special services, Tomasz Siemoniak, said the arrested people are suspected of engaging in espionage and planning attacks.

They were arrested due to “conducting reconnaissance of military facilities and critical infrastructure, preparing resources for sabotage, and directly carrying out attacks”, he said.

Later, the Polish National Prosecutor’s Office said they were arrested for planning to send packages containing explosives to intimidate the population and destabilise European Union countries supporting Ukraine.

Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for Poland’s Special Services, told reporters that three Ukrainian nationals were among the eight arrested and that they had allegedly “created a sort of network to transport explosives across Poland and Romania to Ukraine”.

“A 21-year-old Ukrainian was arrested here in Poland near Warsaw. His two accomplices who went to Romania were arrested by the Romanian secret service in Bucharest,” he added.

Romania’s intelligence agency SRI said authorities “have prevented new sabotage acts … by two Ukrainian citizens under direct coordination of some representatives of Russian secret services”.

The Romanian prosecution unit against organised crime, DIICOT, said the pair had left packages containing explosives at an international delivery company.

‘Hybrid war’

Polish officials have previously said the country has been targeted for espionage and sabotage in a “hybrid war” waged by Russia to destabilise nations supporting Ukraine.

Dobrzynski said Poland has arrested 55 people over suspected sabotage and espionage over the past three years or so.

“These people who acted to the detriment of Poland have all been charged under Article 130 of the penal code, which pertains to espionage and sabotage,” he told reporters.

Several other European countries have accused Moscow of organising numerous such attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow denies the accusations, branding them the result of “Russophobia”.

In May last year, Polish authorities arrested three men for an arson attack. In September, Lithuanian prosecutors broke up a network that they said planned arson and explosive attacks in several EU states.

The same month, Latvia’s security service announced the detention of a man suspected of passing military intelligence to Russia, and British police arrested three people suspected of running sabotage and espionage operations for Russia.

The United Kingdom has also repeatedly accused Russia of orchestrating sabotage and spy operations on its soil and beyond. The Kremlin has accused London of blaming Moscow for “anything bad that happens”.

Drones increasing concern

This autumn, drone incursions have added to the European security concerns, with Belgium, Denmark and Germany among several countries reporting sightings.

The incursions provoked airport closures in Germany and Denmark.

“We are at the beginning of a hybrid war against Europe,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. “I think we are going to see more of it … We see the pattern, and it does not look good,” she added.

Tusk pledged to urgently upgrade Poland’s air defences after NATO forces shot down several drones over his country last month.

The EU, recognising the inefficiency of using multimillion-euro weapons to battle cheap drones, has reacted to the incursions with proposals to develop a “drone wall” on its eastern borders.