Poland’s counter-intelligence services say an investigation into suspected sabotage plots is expanding rapidly, with growing indications of coordination by Russian intelligence. The new details suggest the operation is larger than initially thought, extending beyond the eight arrests reported earlier this week.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed on Monday that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) had detained eight people accused of preparing acts of sabotage. Since then, officials have told Polskie Radio that at least 55 people have been detained in recent months in separate but connected cases. Investigators believe many were acting under the direction of Russian-linked intelligence networks, as part of what Warsaw describes as “hybrid operations” aimed at destabilising the country.
‘Acts of sabotage and transfer of prohibited materials’
According to Euronews, the suspects are accused of gathering information about military sites and critical infrastructure, and in some cases preparing materials that could be used for sabotage. The government has not released details about specific locations or targets, citing national security concerns.
One of the most prominent detainees is a 21-year-old Ukrainian man charged with cooperating with a foreign intelligence service. He allegedly organised the transfer of prohibited materials between Poland and Romania. Two alleged accomplices were later arrested in Bucharest after courier parcels containing incendiary devices were intercepted.
The Polish Internal Security Agency told The Washington Post that some parcels were disguised as ordinary shipments but contained components designed to cause fires or explosions. Investigators believe the aim was to spread fear and disrupt Poland’s logistical role in delivering military aid to Ukraine.
Russian ties
While officials have stopped short of directly naming Russia’s GRU, several have hinted that communication patterns resemble previous GRU-linked operations elsewhere in Europe. The Kremlin has dismissed the allegations as “Russophobic hysteria,” according to Modern Diplomacy.
The Polish government says further arrests are possible as the investigation continues, and the country remains on high alert. Analysts note that Poland’s strategic position as a frontline supporter of Ukraine makes it a likely target for hybrid operations that blend espionage, disinformation and sabotage — a reminder that the war’s frontlines increasingly extend beyond Ukraine itself.
A rising pattern across Europe
In recent months, several European countries have reported suspected sabotage plots or espionage networks linked to Russia’s intelligence services. In May, Czech authorities uncovered what they described as a pro-Russian influence operation using online media. Earlier this year, German prosecutors charged two men with planning attacks on US military facilities allegedly on behalf of the GRU.
Poland has been particularly exposed. In 2024, the ABW dismantled a spy ring accused of monitoring railway routes used to transport weapons to Ukraine. The latest wave of arrests suggests those networks may have regrouped — or that new cells are being formed to replace them.
‘Threat not diminishing’
European officials warn that these incidents form part of a wider campaign of hybrid pressure designed to intimidate, distract and erode public confidence in security institutions. For Warsaw, they also reinforce a message long emphasised by its leaders: that Poland remains not only a logistical hub for Ukraine’s defence, but also a frontline target in the shadow war playing out across the continent.
According to the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD, Europe should prepare for more acts of sabotage. “The MIVD does not see the Russian threat to Europe diminishing — in fact, it is increasing, even after a possible end to the war in Ukraine,” said MIVD Director Vice Admiral Peter Reesink earlier this year, following the release of the agency’s annual report.
