Poland detains Ukrainian teen accused of vandalizing monuments on Russia's behalf
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a Polish police statement and a statement by Ukraine's Embassy in Poland.
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) has arrested a 17-year-old Ukrainian citizen accused of subversive activities on orders from foreign intelligence services, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's office said on Aug. 13.
"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.
According to Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, the teenager vandalized monuments of victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and defaced buildings with anti-Polish slogans on behalf of foreign powers.
"These actions were intended to incite tensions between Poles and Ukrainians," Siemoniak said on X.
Separately, the Polish police said that two 17-year-old Ukrainians were arrested for placing UPA flags and extremist slogans on buildings and monuments to UPA victims. The police made no mention of the involvement of foreign intelligence services.
The incidents occurred in Wroclaw, Warsaw, and Domostawa.
Ukraine's Embassy in Poland condemned the actions, calling them "shameful."
"We regard this as a provocation by the Russian special services aimed at creating tension between our peoples," the statement read. "Ukraine consistently advocates respect for historical memory — both its own and that of its neighbors."
The Embassy added that it also awaits a response from Polish law enforcement agencies regarding acts of vandalism committed earlier against Ukrainian memorial sites in Poland.
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.
