Poland arrests six suspected of spying for Russia

Poland said Thursday it had arrested six people suspected of spying for Russia and supplying its military.

Tomasz Siemoniak, the coordinator of Poland's special services, said the detained people include five Polish nationals aged between 25 and 52 and a 37-year-old Russian national.

Poland's internal security agency, ABW, said four suspects, including the Russian national, had been charged with espionage and placed in pre-trial detention for three months.

The ABW said the group is believed to have illegally supplied Russia with significant quantities of components for military use, including in the production of ammunition and weapons systems. The charges also include alleged violations of rules governing international trade in goods and technologies of strategic importance for national defence and international security.

Siemoniak said nearly 100 people have been charged as part of espionage and sabotage investigations conducted by the ABW since January 1, 2024.

Poland is an EU and NATO member on the alliance's eastern flank and is a main transit route for Western military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Polish officials have repeatedly accused Russia of sabotage since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.