Poland detains Ukrainian teen accused of vandalizing monuments on Russia's behalf
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) has arrested a 17-year-old Ukrainian citizen accused of carrying out acts of sabotage on orders from foreign intelligence services, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's office said on Aug. 14.
"This is not the first time that Russia has recruited Ukrainians and Belarusians to commit such acts in Poland," Tusk's office said in a post on X.
The teenager vandalized monuments to victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), including one in Domostawa, and defaced public buildings with anti-Polish slogans, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said.
Officials said the acts were intended to stoke tensions between Poles and Ukrainians.
Tusk has previously warned against Moscow's attempts to sow discord between Kyiv and Warsaw, even as historical grievances play an increasingly prominent role in Polish-Ukrainian relations.
Earlier this week, Polish authorities ordered dozens of Ukrainian citizens to be expelled after the Aug. 9 riots at a concert of Belarusian rapper Max Korzh.
In one of the most controversial moments of the riots, an attendee was seen waving a black-and-red flag associated with the UPA, a World War II-era guerrilla organization remembered in Poland primarily for its role in the 1943-1944 Volyn massacres.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has warned that Russian intelligence services are actively attempting to recruit Ukrainians — particularly those from Russian-occupied territories — for illegal operations across the European Union.
HUR said the Kremlin offers money to vulnerable individuals to conduct surveillance and sabotage critical infrastructure, calling it "yet another tool of hybrid aggression" against Ukraine and Europe.
Polish authorities have intensified their crackdown on suspected Russian intelligence activity following a number of sabotage incidents, some involving minors. Several suspected spy networks, allegedly run by Minsk and Moscow, have been uncovered in Poland over the past years.
In May, two Ukrainians were charged in connection with Russian-backed arson attacks on an IKEA store in Vilnius and a shopping mall in Warsaw.
In June, a 28-year-old Polish man was arrested on charges of spying for Russia, allegedly gathering sensitive defense-related information in Poland and abroad. The same month, Poland closed Russia's consulate in Krakow after accusing Moscow of orchestrating a massive 2024 fire that destroyed the Marywilska shopping center in Warsaw.
The ABW also accused a 27-year-old Colombian national last month of carrying out two arson attacks in Polish cities on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Western officials have warned of an escalating Russian sabotage campaign targeting countries supporting Ukraine.
