Key facts
- Poland's Internal Security Agency said two Ukrainian men were arrested on suspicion of espionage and sabotage.
- Prosecutors charged both with espionage for a foreign intelligence service and with sabotage.
- Investigators said the men set fire to vehicles with plates resembling those of the Ukrainian military, and were paid including in cryptocurrencies.
- Both face 10 years to life in prison if found guilty.
- The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) said on November 10, 2026, that it had arrested two Ukrainian men suspected of espionage and sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services. Russia has repeatedly denied accusations of such activity.
The agency said the suspects carried out tasks for Russian special services, including reconnaissance of critical infrastructure and military facilities across the country. Prosecutors charged both detainees with espionage on behalf of a foreign intelligence service against Poland and with acts of sabotage.
According to investigators, the men set fire to vehicles after replacing their license plates with ones resembling those used by the Ukrainian military. The men were paid for the tasks, including in cryptocurrencies, investigators said. Prosecutors said the acts were carried out at the behest of Russian intelligence services and were intended to fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
Both face between 10 years and life imprisonment if found guilty. The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Poland has long accused Russia and its ally Belarus of waging a hybrid campaign of sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation in the years since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.