Polish counterintelligence announced on Tuesday April 12 that it had identified and arrested in recent days a Russian spy who was collecting intelligence on Polish and NATO forces, as well as two Belarusians, also suspected of espionage.
Read alsoHow Russian military intelligence is spying on Europe
“The evidence gathered by the counterintelligence service indicates that the man in question collected, at the request of the Russian special services, information concerning the combat readiness of the Polish armed forces and those of NATO.“Said Polish special services spokesman Stanislaw Zaryn in a statement.
Expulsion of Russian diplomats in March
This announcement comes in the context of Russian aggression in Ukraine, which has caused significant tension between Warsaw and Moscow, and led to the expulsion of 45 Russian diplomats at the end of March, followed by the expulsion of the same number of diplomats Polish by Russia. “He is a citizen of Russia who has been living in Poland for 18 years and has an entrepreneurial activity“said the spokesperson.
SEE ALSO – ‘No basis for such accusations’: Russian ambassador to Poland reacts to expulsion of 45 diplomats
Read alsoUK: Chinese spy unmasked in Westminster
He was remanded in custody for three months, while “numerous pieces of evidence seized are being analyzed“. In another case uncovered by Polish counterintelligence, two Belarusian citizens were arrested. They are suspected of having sought to recognize targets of strategic importance for Poland’s defense capability, Stanislaw Zaryn also indicated.
SEE ALSO – War in Ukraine: “Russian soldiers refuse to obey orders”, according to the head of the British spy agency