Poland charges 4 Ukrainians, 1 Russian in alleged Russia-backed sabotage plot
Polish authorities have charged five men in an alleged Russia-orchestrated plot to send out parcels with explosives to various Western countries, Poland's National Prosecutor's Office announced on Jan. 16.
The West has accused Russian intelligence services of a number of sabotage attacks across Europe as Moscow hopes to destabilize countries supporting Ukraine.
On Jan. 7, officials filed indictments against four Ukrainian nationals and a Russian citizen, accusing them of participating in a scheme orchestrated by a Russian intelligence service.
The plot allegedly involved plans for the suspects to send "hidden incendiary devices, and flammable and explosive substances" to various Western countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Lithuania.
The investigators said that the suspects had already begun preparations for the logistics of the acts, including sending out test parcels to U.S. and Canadians addresses.
Vladyslav D., Vladyslav B., Viacheslav C., and Serhii Y. of Ukraine, as well as Aleksandr B. of Russia, have all been charged with terroristic offenses associated with sabotage under Poland's Criminal Code. The suspects face up to life imprisonment if convicted.
Another Russian citizen, Jaroslav M., was also accused of being involved in the plot, however, charges were not brought against him as authorities are unaware of his current location. Polish authorities said that a search has been initiated for the suspect, and an extradition request has been filed with Azerbaijani authorities.
Warsaw has been raising alarm over the mounting cases of sabotage and espionage activities targeting Poland in recent years, with numerous incidents linked to Russian or Belarusian intelligence services.
Russia is believed to be responsible for a fire that broke out in July 2024 in an airport hub run by the DHL courier in Leipzig, Germany. A flammable package was reportedly sent from Lithuania by plane and marked for delivery to a fake address in Birmingham, U.K.
More recently, in November 2025, Polish officials accused Russia an "unprecedented act of sabotage" after a railway track between Warsaw and Lublin was blown up.
Russia has a history of recruiting Ukrainians for sabotage operations in Poland, seeking to exploit vulnerable individuals to target critical infrastructure and undermine security.
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Reuters that Kyiv assisted Warsaw in identifying and detaining the suspects.
