Polish authorities said Tuesday that 55 people have been detained in recent months on suspicion of activities undertaken for Russian intelligence, up from an earlier count of eight. Romania’s Intelligence Service (SRI) said that it thwarted a sabotage operation allegedly orchestrated by Russian intelligence on Romanian soil. Will Hungary also become a target of Russian agents?
Russian agents caught preparing acts of sabotage in Poland
Jacek Dobrzynski, the spokesperson for the minister coordinating Poland’s special services, said a set of broader, overlapping investigations had produced the higher total. He did not provide a breakdown by case or charge, Anadolu, the Turkish news agency, wrote.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the Internal Security Agency (ABW), working with other services, had detained eight people in “various parts of the country” in recent days on suspicion of preparing acts of sabotage. Posting on the US social media company X’s platform, Tusk said the cases are ongoing and that further operational steps are under way.
According to Dobrzynski, those detained span several separate, multi-level probes into Russian intelligence activity. They include Danylo H., a 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen who was arrested near Warsaw on 16 October on suspicion of espionage in Poland and Romania. That arrest was carried out in cooperation with the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI). Two additional Ukrainian nationals were reportedly detained in Bucharest in a related Romanian-led case. Officials have not yet disclosed specific targets, timelines or charging decisions for the Polish detentions.
Primary transit corridor for Western military aid
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has been a primary transit corridor for Western military aid and humanitarian shipments, which makes the country a prime target for espionage and sabotage aimed at rail lines, depots, energy nodes and defense suppliers. Polish services have publicized cases involving railway surveillance, attempted arson of commercial or historical sites and paid spotters—tactics consistent with Russia’s broader “active measures” playbook across the European Union.
Cross-border cooperation with Romania’s SRI as well as with Baltic and Czech services has intensified—reflecting the way suspected networks span jurisdictions. The ABW and the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) can investigate espionage and sabotage under Poland’s Penal Code and counter-espionage statutes. Courts can impose pre-trial detention while cases remain classified. Warsaw has warned that Russia is escalating covert and influence operations inside NATO states.
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Click for more articles concerning the war in Ukraine.
Maybe Russia will blow up two European pipelines again, in the worst acts of sabotage during this war.
Oh, no. Wait. That was Ukraine.
Michael sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline was a perfectly legitimate act of sabotage against an aggressor state (Russia) in defence of Ukraine. Cutting the gas flow denies revenues that fund the Russian war of aggression. What Russia has been involved in is things like the arson attack that burned down the largest shopping mall in Warsaw and incendiary parcel bombs that risk bringing down cargo aircraft as well as the attempted assissination of the CEO of Rheinmetall, etc. Poland just arrested a group of people directed by Russia to send packages containing explosives to intimdate the Polish people. Ukraine keep blowing up those Russian pipelines!
I concur. Moreover, it’s arbitrary if the pipelines are blown up or serviceable, none of the intended customers wish to buy, or indeed can buy hydrocarbons via the pipelines if supplied by Russia. The narrative often seeks to blame Ukraine for sabotaging a pipeline that now prevents Germany from availing itself of ‘cheap’ Russian energy leading to its industries becoming globally uncompetitive. No, what happened is that Russia invaded Ukraine causing global oil and gas prices to go through the roof leading to energy bills going off the scale for households and industry alike. Putin’s actions have cost every European household literally 1000s of Euros from their post tax income and reduced the competitiveness of our industries because they’re carrying the burden of high energy prices. Many of us are very, very angry about this fact, caused directly and exclusively by the actions of Putin. He’s no doubt delighted to be inflicting pain on ‘the west’, this was part of the game plan.
There appears to be a war on! So much for a quick couple of weeks Special Military Operation.
Speaking of which – potentially slightly more worrying issue, Russian strike on stuff that is supposed to keep the planet safe (other than abducting children – even Mrs. Trump is upset, attacks on kindergartens and hospitals – one really wonders why the Ukrainians are not lining up to let the Russians in).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Nuclear_Power_Plant_drone_strike
Why does it matter?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz_hlKSwXUw
BS. Western Europe IS the enemy, has been since 2014. I wouldn’t believe anything Poland, under it’s current so called leadership, says.
It is Russia that has invaded Ukraine therefore Russia is the enemy period. Anyone who assists the Russians is also an enemy. Anyone who forgets what took place under 46 years of Russian occupation of Hungary including the torture, executions and miserable way of life is a fool. Putin’s regime is a continuation of the same barbaric gangsters and their toadies show up on blog sites to promote them.
It’s very interesting to observe how certain usernames only ever crop up on Russia-related articles while dissing ‘the west’. No apparent interest in anything related to Hungary (despite the title of this site) but as soon as it’s a Russia related article they’re airing their views and expressing anti-western vitriol. Can’t be anything to do with bots or troll farms in Moscow, can it?
I can program some perfectly serviceable bots as well, if you like?
The disinformation war has been raging for years. As for espionage – that never went away, post-Jeltsin. Mr. Putin well understands the value and has always played the long game.
Recent uncoverings such as the couple in Slovenia (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-spies-lived-quiet-life-slovenia-until-they-were-detained-2024-08-02/) are decidedly worrisome and the tip of the iceberg. Note also that these (and most) spies were quickly traded – for Westerners held on trumped-up charges in Russia, exactly for this purpose. A weakness of Western democracies, if you will.
We can only imagine what this all means for us in Hungary – since in the eyes of our Politicians, all Russians want is “Peace!”, right? Not a priority (focus on the war on “woke”, etc, why not).
And the American, English, French… intelligence agencies are made up of sweethearts and hothouse plants…
Russia in not our enemy. Russophobia is just as wrong as anti-semitism. Some people need to grow up.
Another Russian bot. Every country that joined NATO including Hungary did it for one reason -fear of Russia. No one can disprove that fact. Russia is an on-going threat to Europe period.
Paradoxically, fear of Russia is the reason Hungary will never leave NATO … Even our Politicians agree they do not want risk putting us back behind an Iron Curtain.
Fun fact: four of our 14 (Swedish lease) Gripens along with 80 support staff are currently serving a NATO deployment in the Baltics – as good a place to make contact, if any …
You may not view them as an enemy but they certainly view the collective west as their enemy and have done since Tsarist times. I suggest you do a bit of research into what they’re up to, it doesn’t make for pretty reading.
Russians are not the enemy. However, the current regime should definitely be characterized as a threat to freedom and democracy @derrickvanderlisle
Thanks for clarifying. The Russian people are cultured, generous, family orientated people with a remarkable resilience, living for generations under repressive regimes. I for one would love to visit the country at a time of peace.
Second the motion @londonsteve – looking forward to the day!