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Poland has announced the arrest of eight individuals on suspicion of espionage and sabotage allegedly orchestrated by Russian intelligence services.

Getting into it: According to Polish authorities, the eight individuals were allegedly involved in a coordinated sabotage campaign targeting military and critical infrastructure sites across the country. The suspects, who include at least three Ukrainian nationals, were reportedly conducting surveillance on sensitive facilities and preparing to carry out attacks. Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister coordinating special services, stated that the group was directly engaged in “reconnaissance of military facilities and critical infrastructure, preparing resources for sabotage, and directly carrying out attacks.”

A particularly alarming detail of the case involves the use of explosive parcels intended to be sent to Ukraine. Authorities revealed that one of the suspects, a 21-year-old Ukrainian man, was arrested near Warsaw while allegedly preparing to ship packages containing improvised explosive devices designed to detonate during transport. Two of his alleged accomplices, also Ukrainian citizens aged 21 and 24, were detained in Romania after placing similar incendiary devices at an international courier service in Bucharest. Romanian intelligence services confirmed that the devices were successfully defused, and the suspects were placed under preventive arrest.

In recent years, Poland has faced a surge in espionage and subversive activities believed to be linked to Moscow, including arson attacks, drone incursions, and attempts to infiltrate military sites.

The Russian government, for its part, has denied any involvement in the alleged sabotage plots. The Kremlin has dismissed the accusations as part of what it calls a “Russophobic campaign” orchestrated by Western governments to discredit Moscow. Russian officials have repeatedly stated that claims of sabotage, espionage, and hybrid attacks are politically motivated and lack credible evidence.