Nine suspected Russian agents specializing in sabotage arrested in Poland, Tusk announces

Brussels – The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced European countries to review the state of their defence and intelligence structures. In this modernization process, Poland is at the forefront, both for geographical reasons and for fear of being attacked by Russia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has communicated that nine people, hired by Moscow and accused of participating in sabotage actions and preparing others, have been arrested.

The arrested are Polish, Belarusian, and Ukrainian nationals, but according to the Warsaw security services, they were agents in the service of the Kremlin and were allegedly recruited from organized crime circles. According to Tusk, the nine allegedly organized a fire at a paint factory in Wroclaw, a city in western Poland, and were responsible for burning down an Ikea warehouse in Lithuania.

The arrests in Poland come close on the heels of warnings from European 007s over possible Russian interference in the politics of EU countries, including in the run-up to the European elections (June 6-9). Also worrying Warsaw is the fact that a few days ago, a Polish judge defected by fleeing to neighbouring Belarus, Russia’s ally in the Ukraine war. The judge has now been charged with espionage and treason. Fear for Russia’s neighbour prompted Tusk last weekend to announce a plan (worth more than €2.5 billion) to fortify the borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to make them “impregnable” in the event of a Russian-led attack.