Poland confirms it broke up Russian spy network

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski confirmed on March 16 that Warsaw had broken up a Russian espionage network, detaining nine people allegedly preparing sabotage acts and monitoring rail routes to Ukraine.

A day before, Polish radio station RMF24 reported the country's security agency had arrested six people part of the Russian spy ring. 

According to Kaminski, cited by Reuters, Poland's Internal Security Agency obtained cameras, electronic equipment, as well as GPS transmitters, which the suspects had planned to install on vehicles transporting military aid to Ukraine. 

The Polish minister told a news conference that the espionage network had also been requested to conduct propaganda activities aimed at destabilizing relations between Poland and Ukraine. 

The suspects, allegedly foreigners from Poland's eastern neighboring countries, had already been paid for their activities.

Kaminski added that six of the nine detained people were charged with espionage for Moscow and participating in an organized criminal group while criminal proceedings against the rest of the suspects were ongoing. 

Maciej Matysiak, ex-deputy chief of the Military Counterintelligence Service, told RMF24 that the spy network might have been searching for information regarding the number of transports to Ukraine, the level of security measures in place, and the type of equipment.

A number of countries, including France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Austria, have expelled Russian diplomats during Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine over the violations of diplomatic norms and accusations of spying for the Russian government.