Poland charges 6 over alleged foreign-commissioned sabotage

GENEVA

Polish prosecutors have charged six people with offenses, including sabotage commissioned by foreign intelligence services, local media reported on Wednesday.

The case stems from an earlier investigation into Ukrainian citizen Serhii S., jailed this year for planning sabotage on behalf of Russia, according to TVP World.

"The evidence obtained in this case indicated a suspicion that an organized criminal group operating in Poland engaged in recruitment and organization of sabotage activities for foreign intelligence agencies," a prosecution spokesperson said.

"The actions of foreign intelligence agencies were aimed at generating public unrest and creating a sense of helplessness among state authorities through sabotage and subversion."

Prosecutors identified the defendants as three Poles—Kamil K., Dawid P., and Lukasz K.—and three Belarusians—Stepan K., Andrei B., and Yaraslau S.

The indictment covers several incidents, the report underlined, including an April 2024 arson attack on a pallet storage facility in Marki, central Poland; an attempted arson at a Gdansk warehouse in March 2024; and arson attacks on a Gdynia restaurant in 2023. All were allegedly commissioned by foreign intelligence agencies.

Four defendants face sabotage charges, with additional counts involving arms trafficking, drug trafficking, and other crimes. Prosecutors said Stepan K. and Dawid P. pleaded not guilty, Andrei B., Yaraslau S., and Lukasz K. admitted partial guilt, and Kamil K. confessed to all charges.

Poland has accused Russian and Belarusian secret services of orchestrating sabotage on its territory, claims both Moscow and Minsk reject.