Polish prosecutors have charged six individuals with carrying out arson attacks as part of what Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described as an escalating sabotage campaign sponsored by Russia and Belarus.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the accused include three Polish citizens and three Belarusians. They face multiple charges, including acting on behalf of foreign intelligence services, participating in a criminal organisation, and involvement in drug and arms trafficking. The charges relate to a series of incidents in 2023 and 2024, including the use of Molotov cocktails to ignite targeted sites.
Alleged Attacks and Operations
The suspects are accused of planning or executing attacks such as:
- A restaurant fire in Gdynia in 2023.
- An attempted arson at a warehouse in Gdańsk in 2024.
- A fire at a pallet warehouse in Marki, also in 2023.
The investigation is linked to earlier cases, including the conviction of a Ukrainian citizen this year for espionage and preparing arson attacks in the south-western city of Wrocław.
Government Warnings of Foreign Sabotage
Prime Minister Tusk has repeatedly warned of increased espionage, cyberattacks, and sabotage by operatives allegedly recruited by Russia and its ally Belarus, in retaliation for Poland’s strong support for Ukraine. Moscow and Minsk deny any involvement in incidents on Polish territory.
“The resolution of the war in Ukraine is approaching, so Russia is doing everything to sow discord between Kyiv and Warsaw,” Tusk said on Tuesday.
Poland has been a leading European supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, providing military aid and hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees. Authorities in Warsaw have tightened security, leading to dozens of arrests and convictions for suspected espionage and sabotage.
Recent Security Incidents
- In May, nine people were detained for allegedly plotting sabotage in Poland and other EU countries in coordination with Russian intelligence.
- Earlier this week, a Ukrainian national was charged with attempting to send a parcel bomb, intercepted at a Polish warehouse.
- Poland has also intervened against vessels linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” including one stopped in May for suspicious manoeuvres near an undersea power cable to Sweden.
- In January, Tusk accused Moscow of planning airline bombings, citing suspected explosions at European logistics depots as possible trial runs for attacks on transatlantic cargo flights.
Concert-Related Unrest and Deportations
Tusk also addressed tensions with Ukraine following violence at a Warsaw concert by Belarusian rapper Max Korzh, a critic of the Minsk regime. He alleged that anti-Polish gestures by some Ukrainians, and anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland, were part of a scenario orchestrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As a result, Poland will expel 57 Ukrainians and six Belarusians for their role in the concert unrest.
