Anna Hartz
Poland, sharing a border with Ukraine, has been on high alert.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been ongoing since 2014. The war has fueled numerous plots, espionage, and attacks targeting Ukraine and its allies.
By Coordination of Russia
A Polish man has been sentenced to prison for working with Russian intelligence in a plot to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reports Digi24. The man, 50-year-old Pawel K., was sentenced to three and a half years by a court in Zamosc, southeastern Poland.
According to prosecutors, the assassination plan was coordinated from the Kremlin. The target was Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, a key hub for international military aid to Ukraine. The airport also hosts a large number of American soldiers.
Pawel K., who lives in Hrubieszów in eastern Poland, was tasked with collecting and sharing sensitive information about security at the airport. Prosecutors said he did this to support the Russian Military Intelligence Service, known as the GRU. He was convicted of espionage and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.
Children Involved
Polish prosecutor Anna Adamiak said Pawel K. had offered to join the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary force, and the Russian military intelligence. She said he intended to help prepare a possible assassination of a foreign head of state.
Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesman for Poland’s special services, said the trial presented solid evidence that Pawel K. committed serious crimes threatening Poland’s security.
The head of Ukraine’s Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk, said last year that the plot involved 2.5 kilograms of explosives. He warned the attack could have had catastrophic consequences. Russian agents had carefully directed the plan, including using a 14-year-old to monitor targets.
In a separate case, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced the arrest of a civilian employee at its Warsaw headquarters. The person worked in the Department of Defense Strategy and Planning and is accused of collaborating with foreign intelligence. The military counterintelligence service supervises the case.
These arrests show the high level of risk in the region and the ongoing espionage and sabotage efforts by Russia. Poland continues to strengthen its security and monitor potential threats to both national safety and the support of Ukraine during the conflict.
