Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The suspects come from five different countries, Poland included.
The suspects come from five different countries, the nation in question included.
What is happening?
Polish authorities have arrested 32 individuals accused of collaborating with Russian intelligence in acts of sabotage, arson, and even violent assaults.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the arrests, calling them part of a broader campaign directed by Moscow to destabilise the West.
Suspects linked to five nations
Those arrested hail from five different countries—Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Colombia, and Poland—highlighting the international scope of the alleged espionage network.
“Contract beatings” among the accusations
Beyond arson and sabotage, Tusk revealed that some of those detained were involved in “contracted beatings,” suggesting a violent dimension to the covert operations.
He stressed that these were ordered by Russian special services with clear political motives.
Tusk: It’s time to sound the alarm
While praising Polish security forces for their effectiveness, Tusk warned that the threat is ongoing and escalating.
“The time has come to issue a real emergency signal to all special services,” he said.
UK joins crackdown
The UK has ramped up its own efforts, recently sanctioning three GRU military intelligence units and 18 individuals.
These operatives are accused of running long-term cyber operations targeting the UK and other Western nations.
Swiss intelligence also under scrutiny
In a separate revelation, Swiss intelligence officers were found to have passed sensitive data to Russian operatives from 2015 to 2020.
The incident has raised serious questions about Moscow’s penetration into European security networks.
Convictions still rare
Of the 32 individuals recently detained in Poland, only one has been convicted to date.
One Colombian suspect faces charges for setting two fires—alleged acts of Russian-directed sabotage—inside Poland’s borders.
A persistent and global threat
Tusk emphasized that Russia’s covert operations are viewed as a “permanent threat” by NATO, the United States, and European allies.
The message is clear: these are not isolated incidents, but part of a sustained campaign.
A strategic frontline state
Poland’s geographic position makes it especially vulnerable—it borders Ukraine, Russian territory in Kaliningrad, and Belarus, a close ally of Putin.
With Russian nukes now stationed in Belarus, Poland sits on a volatile edge of the conflict.
History of Russian sabotage in Poland
This isn’t Poland’s first encounter with Russian espionage.
In 2023, a spy ring was dismantled for plotting to sabotage Ukrainian aid routes. And in October 2024, two Russians were caught promoting the notorious Wagner Group.
Warsaw even blamed Russia for a major shopping centre fire that year.
