Poland detains 6 suspects working for Russian intelligence, Polish official says
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Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained six people suspected of working for Russian special services, Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister-coordinator of special services, said on Nov. 5.
"The group illegally supplied Russia with significant amounts of military-grade materials used to produce ammunition and weapons systems," Siemoniak said.
The detainees include five Polish nationals aged between 25 and 52 and a 37-year-old Russian woman, according to Siemoniak. Four of the six have been placed in pretrial detention on espionage charges, while the remaining two have been placed under noncustodial preventive measures, he said.
The arrests come amid a broader investigation into suspected espionage and sabotage in Poland. According to Siemoniak, nearly 100 people have been designated as suspects in such cases since Jan. 1, 2024. In the latest operation, officers searched 21 locations across the Warmia-Masuria, Pomerania, and Greater Poland provinces between Oct. 21 and Nov. 2.
On Nov. 2, Polish media reported that Poland deployed police counterterrorism units near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave following intelligence warnings of possible sabotage in the coming days.
According to RMF FM, Polish military intelligence and allied intelligence services warned in late October that acts of sabotage could occur near the Russian border, potentially including incursions by armed groups.
National police chief Marek Boron said the increased presence of security was intended to protect residents and infrastructure amid concerns about sabotage and the activities of foreign intelligence services.
European governments are stepping up preparations for possible Russian hybrid attacks as officials across the continent warn that Moscow could increasingly use drones, missiles, sabotage, and cyberattacks to test NATO countries and pressure them over their support for Ukraine.
