Poland Arrests Nine Operatives Accused of Working for Putin

Polish authorities have detained nine individuals suspected of working for Russia in connection with alleged sabotage plots, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.

"At this time, we have nine suspects arrested and charged with direct involvement in sabotage attacks in Poland at the request of Russian [intelligence] services. This concerns beatings, arson and attempted arson," Tusk told Polish broadcaster TVN24.

"These are Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish citizens," Tusk said, adding that an international investigation is under way.

The Context

There have been numerous arrests of suspected Russian operatives in Poland throughout President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

What We Know

Tusk said Poland was working with its allies on the matter, and that the alleged sabotage plots also concerned Lithuania, Latvia and possibly Sweden.

The Polish PM said there was an attempt, for example, to set fire to an Ikea store in Lithuania, and a paint factory in Wroclaw, western Poland.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

The news comes amid rising tensions between Russia and NATO member Poland over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Warsaw has been forced to scramble its fighter jets to protect its airspace during large-scale Russian missile strikes on Ukraine. Poland has said that Russian missiles fired at western Ukraine entered its airspace on multiple occasions. Russia has said incursions were accidental.

In April, a Polish man identified by prosecutors as "Pawel K" was arrested and charged over an alleged Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He stands accused of seeking contact with Russia's military intelligence with the intention of providing Moscow with information that would aid an assassination attempt on the Ukrainian leader.

Zelensky has claimed Moscow has attempted to assassinate him countless times since the war began in February 2022. Moscow has denied these accusations.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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