Colombian man accused of arson attacks in Poland on orders from Russian intelligence
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include new information from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) has accused a 27-year-old Colombian national of carrying out two arson attacks in Polish cities on behalf of Russian intelligence, spokesperson Jacek Dobrzynski said during a press conference on July 29, Polish media outlet RMF24 reported.
The man is suspected of setting fire to construction warehouses in Warsaw on May 23 and in Radom, a city some 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital, on May 30.
According to Dobrzynski, after the sabotage operations in Poland, the man traveled to the Czech Republic in June. While there, he was trying to torch a Prague bus depot and was thought to be planning another attack when local authorities detained him.
"We have 32 people detained and suspected of cooperating with Russian services, who ordered these people either acts of diversion or beating," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on July 29 during a government meeting, according to Polish media outlet Onet.
Tusk stressed the suspicions are "justified." The group of detainees reportedly includes Poles, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Colombians, with more arrests possible.
The news comes amid mounting warnings by Western officials of Russia's escalating hybrid operations and sabotage across Europe.
According to the ABW, the suspect received detailed instructions from a handler linked to Russian intelligence, including how to construct Molotov cocktails.
The man has been charged with terrorism and faces a life sentence.
"These actions were ordered, controlled, and financed by an individual linked to the Russian intelligence services," Dobrzynski said. "He (the suspect) was taught how to prepare incendiary materials, how to document these attacks, and carried them out under instruction."
The man has reportedly admitted partial guilt, and his testimony is under verification.
ABW officers say Russia has been actively recruiting Latin Americans with military experience to conduct sabotage operations across Europe. Recruits are contacted primarily via the Telegram messenger app and tasked with setting fires, conducting reconnaissance, and documenting damage.
Tusk previously said that Russia was also behind the May 2024 arson attack on Warsaw's Marywilska shopping center, which destroyed around 1,400 stores.
In Lithuania, authorities believe Russia recruited two Ukrainian citizens, including a minor, to carry out a May 9, 2024, arson attack on an IKEA warehouse in Vilnius.
Western intelligence services have warned of escalating Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and espionage operations across Europe, with nearly 100 suspected incidents in 2024 alone, according to Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.
Moscow has denied involvement or refused to comment on the allegations.
