Poland arrests 9 suspected of spying for Russia

Poland has dismantled a pro-Russia spy community suspected of monitoring transport routes in an effort to sabotage shipments of weapons and support to Ukraine, the Polish inside minister stated.

Mariusz Kamiński advised journalists on Thursday that 9 international nationals from unspecified jap European nations had been detained. “The suspects performed intelligence actions in opposition to Poland and ready acts of sabotage on the request of Russian intelligence,” he stated.

Warsaw suspects the cell of getting monitored railway and different transport routes that hyperlink jap Poland to Ukraine. Kamiński stated Poland’s safety company had discovered cameras, digital gear and GPS transmitters “that have been to be mounted on transports with support for Ukraine”.

The Polish authorities didn’t say the place the suspects have been arrested or the surveillance units have been discovered. However Poland’s RFM radio, which first reported the detentions, stated cameras had been positioned close to the Rzeszów-Jasionka regional airport, a hub for the availability of navy gear, support and different items to Ukraine.

Talking individually on Thursday, defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak advised Polish public radio that Poland had confronted a “actual” safety risk however that “the complete spy community was dismantled”.

If confirmed, the pro-Kremlin sabotage community may quantity to probably the most critical terrorism risk on Polish soil since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February final yr. A month later, Poland expelled 45 Russians accused of utilizing their diplomatic standing to spy for Russian intelligence.

Given the dangers of flying on to Kyiv and different components of Ukraine, many western shipments to the nation arrive in south-eastern Poland earlier than being transported by rail or highway throughout the border, which is about 45 miles from the Rzeszów-Jasionka airport. US and different Nato troops are stationed at a close-by navy base.

Final yr US president Joe Biden introduced that the US would set up a everlasting base in Poland.

The detained suspects have been additionally paid to undertake broader actions geared toward destabilising relations between Poland and Ukraine and to unfold anti-Nato propaganda, based on Kamiński.

Poland initially arrested six individuals throughout the operation to dismantle the cell, with an additional three detained on Wednesday, he stated. All are being held in custody pending the result of the investigation.

The case was “dynamic and creating” and additional bulletins have been prone to be made quickly, Kamiński added.