Poland Detains Three of Its Citizens Allegedly Russian Spies
JAKARTA - Poland detained three of its citizens suspected of spying on the deployment of NATO forces, preparing sabotage and spreading disinformation on behalf of Russia, authorities said on Wednesday.
Poland says its role as a military and other supply hub to Ukraine has made it a target of Russian spies trying to gather information on support for Kyiv's efforts to fend off the Russian invasion, as well as engage in sabotage.
"Officers (the Internal Security Agency or ABW) detained three people suspected of carrying out espionage activities on behalf of the Russian Federation. The detainees are Polish citizens, men aged 48 to 62 years old," wrote Polish Minister of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak on social media, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (20/5).
"They are accused of carrying out intelligence activities - spying on the deployment of NATO forces in the territory of the Republic of Poland, as well as producing and disseminating propaganda and disinformation materials," he continued.
The court decided to detain them for three months, he added.
Meanwhile, the ABW stated in a statement, the arrest occurred on May 12.
The men were also accused of producing and disseminating propaganda and disinformation material, preparing sabotage and subversion, promoting symbols supporting Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and openly praising the war, the ABW said.
"The detainees, who were assigned by an identified Russian citizen and associated with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, also carried out intelligence-gathering activities, including identifying the location of NATO forces stationed in Poland," the ABW explained.
"The members of the group are trained to carry out sabotage and subversive tasks through firearms training and battlefield tactics training," he said.
Separately, the Russian Embassy in Poland has not responded to a request for comment.
Poland is among many European countries that have arrested people suspected of espionage, cyberattacks or sabotage planning as part of what they call Moscow's hybrid war against them for supporting Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion.