Airport spied
Pole is said to be involved in planning the assassination attempt on Zelensky
April 18, 2024, 7:50 p.m
After the arrest of two suspected spies for Russia in Bavaria, Warsaw also reports the behavior of an agent. According to investigators, the Pole is said to be involved in planning an assassination attempt on Ukrainian President Zelensky. To do this, he spied on security measures.
Poland’s secret service has arrested a man who is said to have helped Russian military intelligence plan an assassination attempt on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Polish citizen was caught on Wednesday in Poland, the public prosecutor’s office in Warsaw said. The investigators accuse him of declaring his “willingness to act for foreign secret services against Poland.” If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the man is said to have collected information about the security precautions at Rzeszow airport and passed it on to the Russians. “This was intended, among other things, to help the Russian secret services plan a possible assassination attempt on a foreign head of state – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” the statement said.
The suspect agreed to work for Russian military intelligence and made contact with several Russian citizens who were directly involved in the hostilities in Ukraine. The tip about him came from the Ukrainian public prosecutor’s office, which presented extensive evidence to the Polish investigators.
EU and NATO member Poland is a close military ally of Russia-attacked Ukraine and a key hub for Western military aid to Kiev. The heavily guarded airport in Rzeszow in southeastern Poland, about 90 kilometers from Poland’s border with Ukraine, plays a central role not only for arms deliveries.
It is the arrival and departure point for all Western politicians who want to travel to Kiev. And also for Zelensky and other top Ukrainian politicians on their way to the West. Since the airspace over Ukraine is closed due to air strikes, politicians are traveling to and from Kiev by night train. The arrival point for the trains is the Polish border town of Przemysl. From there it is about 70 kilometers to Rzeszow Airport.
Moscow sees “no evidence” of espionage in Germany
In Bavaria, the police previously arrested two men who are said to have scouted out possible attack targets in Germany for Moscow. According to the Federal Prosecutor General, the two Russian-Germans, who were picked up by officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office at two different locations in the Bayreuth area, were involved in sabotage operations.
These were intended in particular to “undermine the military support provided by Germany to Ukraine against the Russian war of aggression.” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock then summoned the Russian ambassador.
However, Moscow criticized Germany for providing “no evidence” for the allegations against them. The Russian ambassador in Berlin was presented with “no evidence” when he was summoned to the Foreign Office, the embassy explained on X and described the allegations as “absurd”.