Ukrainians and Belarusians accused in Poland of working for a foreign secret service. The modus operandi resembles that of Moscow, says Polish counterintelligence
Illustrative image from a mission of the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW). Credit: Krzysztof Zatycki/ZUMA Press Wir / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Polish prosecutors announced on Friday that they had indicted two Ukrainians and three Belarusians suspected of working for a foreign intelligence service, AFP reports.
Poland's national prosecutor's office did not say which country was involved, but in the context of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022, Warsaw has constantly accused Moscow of sabotage attempts and waging a “hybrid war”.
A minor among the suspects
The five suspects were detained on November 25-26 in Warsaw and Bialystok, a city in eastern Poland, the Polish Agency for Internal Security (ABW) said. According to Polish counterintelligence, among them is a minor Ukrainian girl.
“The identified individuals were recruited by a moderator operating on the Telegram messaging application and committed acts of sabotage by engaging in acts directed against the Republic of Poland, including photographic documentation of targets, obtaining information on critical infrastructure, systems and targets crucial to the security of the Republic of Poland and its citizens, displaying posters and making graffiti,” ABW said.
Working method similar to that of the Russian services
The spokesman of the prosecutor's office, Przemysław Nowak, specified that “the suspects were paid in cryptocurrencies for the tasks performed.”
“The behaviors described are consistent with the well-known established modus operandi of the Russian secret services,” ABW added.
In Poland, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 55 people suspected of acting for Moscow have been detained, according to the Polish intelligence service.
Two incidents on Poland's rail network in November were described by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as “state terrorism” orchestrated by the Kremlin.
In one of them, a steel obstacle was placed on a track with the intention of “derailing a train”, according to the Polish prime minister. The second involved the detonation of an explosive device on a railway line used to deliver aid to Ukraine.
Following the incidents, Warsaw closed the last Russian consulate on its territory. Moscow responded with a similar measure.
