Poland’s domestic security agency has said that Russian black ops teams have intensified sabotage activities in Poland this year.
The acts of sabotage included targeting civilian infrastructure, such as arson attacks in warehouses and retail centers, according to the Internal Security Agency (ABW), which added that packages with concealed flammable substances were often used with a timer set to ignite during transport.
“Hostile acts carried out on behalf of the Russian Federation are increasingly taking the form of terrorist activity,” the ABW said.
It added that such activities are mainly intended to intimidate citizens of Poland and Western countries, and to discourage them from continuing to support Ukraine in Russia’s ongoing war.
The agency said that acts of sabotage are also being used by Moscow to test the ability of Poland and its allies to resist hybrid threats.
Many of those recruited by Russia for sabotage activities are young people from post-Soviet states, including Ukraine and Belarus, according to the ABW report.
“Hostile acts carried out on behalf of the Russian Federation are increasingly taking the form of terrorist activity,” the ABW said.
It added that such activities are mainly intended to intimidate citizens of Poland and Western countries, and to discourage them from continuing to support Ukraine in Russia’s ongoing war.
The agency said that acts of sabotage are also being used by Moscow to test the ability of Poland and its allies to resist hybrid threats.
Many of those recruited by Russia for sabotage activities are young people from post-Soviet states, including Ukraine and Belarus, according to the ABW report.
Money motive
The agency said: “Not infrequently, [those recruited for sabotage] have ties to criminal circles. Their main motivation for cooperation with Russian services is financial. These people are not always driven by ideological motives, and often declare anti-Russian views, which does not prevent them from conducting activities…against Ukraine and Western nations.”
The saboteurs usually communicate via social media and instant messaging apps and are paid mainly in cryptocurrencies, making it difficult for Polish security services to trace those responsible.
The ABW said that in 2023 it took down a spy network working for Moscow, leading to the conviction of 16 people – 12 Ukrainian nationals, three Belarusians and one Russian citizen.
It added that close to 20 people have been charged in ongoing investigations into sabotage activities.
The saboteurs usually communicate via social media and instant messaging apps and are paid mainly in cryptocurrencies, making it difficult for Polish security services to trace those responsible.
The ABW said that in 2023 it took down a spy network working for Moscow, leading to the conviction of 16 people – 12 Ukrainian nationals, three Belarusians and one Russian citizen.
It added that close to 20 people have been charged in ongoing investigations into sabotage activities.
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