Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday that authorities have detained 32 individuals accused of working with Russia to carry out acts of sabotage in Poland.
Speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting, Tusk said the suspects include Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian nationals, and one individual from Colombia.
“Destabilizing our borders, attempting to paralyze our security services — these are closely connected to more drastic sabotage efforts like arson and assaults,” he said. “Any such action — either at the border or inside the country — is, directly or indirectly, cooperation with Russia.”
Poland’s Internal Security Agency said the Colombian man detained was tied to two arson attacks last year targeting construction supply warehouses in Poland, and later, a bus depot in the Czech Republic.
The suspect “was trained by a person connected to Russian intelligence services” and taught “how to prepare incendiary materials, Molotov cocktails, and how to document these arson attacks,” said Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesman for Poland’s security services.
In May, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced that it would close Russia’s Consulate in the city of Krakow in response to a fire that was started at the city’s largest shopping center, which was the second instance of Poland ordering Russia to close a consulate. The previous instance occurred last October when he ordered the Russian Consulate in Poznan, which Russia responded to by ordering the closure of Poland’s Consulate in Saint Petersburg.
Russia has long been accused of targeting nearby countries in what officials often refer to as “hybrid warfare,” or covert acts of sabotage designed to destabilize the targeted nation.
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