Warsaw detains nine ‘foreigners’ accused of spying for Moscow

POLAND claims to have dismantled a Russian spy ring that gathered information on its deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine.

Its counter-intelligence agency has so far arrested nine people on suspicion of espionage and participation in an organised criminal group.

“The suspects had been conducting espionage activities against Poland and preparing acts of sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services,” Mariusz Kaminski, Poland’s interior minister said yesterday.

He said the group of “foreigners from across Poland’s eastern border” had been given the task of “reconnaissance, surveillance and documentation of arms transports to Ukraine”.

“The suspects had also been preparing acts of sabotage meant to paralyse the delivery of military equipment, arms, and Ukraine aid,” he added.

Earlier, Mariusz Blaszczak, the defence minister, told public radio PR1: “The whole network has been dismantled – the threat was real.

“It was an espionage group... collecting information for those who attacked Ukraine.”

Polish agents seized electronic equipment including GPS transmitters which were allegedly due to be installed on trains carrying aid to Ukraine.

RMF, a private Polish radio station, was the first to report on the alleged spy ring operation on Wednesday.

Citing unnamed sources, it stated the suspects were arrested after the discovery of hidden cameras at junctions and along major railway routes, recording and transmitting data.

According to RMF “dozens of devices” were installed, mainly on sections of railways leading to the southeast. Some were planted on tracks near an airport which is one of the main transfer points for Ukraine-bound Western weapons and ammunition.

Authorities are now on high alert and the security of railways and strategic infrastructure has been reinforced, RMF said.

Mr Kaminski also said the group had been given instructions to carry out propaganda activities to destabilise Polish-ukrainian relations as well as stir up anti-nato sentiment in Poland.

He said Warsaw has evidence that the members of the group received regular payments from Russia’s secret services.

Six of the nine people arrested have so far been charged with espionage and three are still being questioned by the security services.

‘The whole network has been dismantled – it was an espionage group – the threat was real’