Poland arrested 18 people accused of planning hostile acts on behalf of Russia and Belarus

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has arrested 18 people on allegations of carrying out hostile activities or planning sabotage on behalf of Russia and Belarus, including a plan to assassinate Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Interior Minister said on Monday.

Ten of those arrested since December were directly involved in planning various forms of sabotage across Poland, Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told a news conference.

Polish authorities have linked some recent arsons or attempted arsons to Russian-sponsored agents. Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian nationals are among those arrested in recent months, according to press releases from the Internal Security Agency.

A Pole was arrested in April on charges of being willing to spy for Russian military intelligence as part of an alleged plot to assassinate Zelensky, Polish prosecutors said. The man allegedly sought contact with Russians directly involved in the war in Ukraine and was to pass on detailed information about the strategic Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in southeastern Poland, near the border with Ukraine. 'Ukraine.

Siemoniak said the acts of sabotage were apparently part of a broader plan that also includes cyberattacks, pushing Belarusian migrants to cross into Poland and threatening the security of the country that supported Ukraine in its fight against invasion on a large scale in Russia.

“We are convinced that, at the request of a foreign country, Russia, some people are ready to threaten the lives, health and property of Polish citizens,” Siemoniak said.

The Associated Press