Poland detains nine suspected of Russian-ordered sabotage acts
Polish authorities have detained nine individuals on suspicion of carrying out acts of sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services, the country's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, announced on Tuesday, May 21. This concerns assaults, arson, and attempted arson, - he said, indicating that the individuals involved are mercenaries. According to Tusk, sometimes these individuals are from the criminal world, and this includes citizens of Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland.
Specifically, Tusk pointed out that an arson attempt at a paint manufacturing plant in Wroclaw, western Poland, was thwarted. The arson was undoubtedly ordered by Russian services, he believes. Tusk assessed the situation as quite serious, reminding that similar sabotage occurs in Lithuania, Latvia, and Sweden. He referred to the fire at an IKEA warehouse in Vilnius during the night of May 9, which destroyed goods, with Lithuanian police investigating the possibility of arson.
Polish President, Andrzej Duda, said on May 14 that five or six significant fires have occurred in various parts of the country in recent days. According to him, it’s hard not to suspect that these may be arsons, essentially attempts to destabilize the country. The head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, Jacek Siewiera, in turn, suggested that foreign intelligence services might be involved.
Earlier, Donald Tusk announced the strengthening of Polish intelligence services amid destabilizing activities by Moscow.
He reported that an additional 100 million zlotys (25 million euros) would be allocated to civil and military counterintelligence. Tusk also mentioned that Warsaw had prevented several acts of sabotage thanks to the vigilance of our services and our allies.
In recent weeks, Warsaw reported the detention of a man on suspicion of aiding Russian intelligence in preparing a possible assassination attempt on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the detention of a Belarusian suspected of organizing an attack in Vilnius in March on Leonid Volkov, an associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.