Two suspected Russian spies charged in Poland

Prosecutors in Poland have charged two men detained by the country’s military police and suspected of spying for Russia, news media reported on Wednesday.

An officer with Poland's Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW)

Image: gov.pl

The suspects, a Russian and a Belarusian, have been remanded in custody for three months following a court order, state news agency PAP reported.

According to Stanisław Żaryn, spokesman for Poland’s security services, the two were detained by Poland's military police "based on the findings" by the country's Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW).

Żaryn said in a statement that "the evidence gathered by the SKW indicates that both foreigners, while acting on behalf of the Russian intelligence services to the detriment of Poland, carried out the reconnaissance of the Polish Armed Forces’ functioning and the deployment of troops in the immediate vicinity of the Polish-Belarusian border."

The "arrest of the suspects took place on April 21 and 22," Żaryn said, as quoted in English on the gov.pl website.

As found by the #SKW, the suspects provided Russia with the reconnaissance of the #PL Armed Forces’ functioning, incl. the deployment of troops IVO the Polish-Belarusian border. https://t.co/txVSAQg16D

— Stanisław Żaryn (@StZaryn) April 27, 2022

The suspects face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of the charges, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl