Two Russians jailed in Poland for espionage and membership in Wagner group

On February 14, two Russian citizens were imprisoned in Poland for 5 and a half years for membership in the Wagner mercenary group and espionage in favor of the Russian Federation. This was reported by Reuters.

Poland and other NATO countries have been experiencing increased sabotage, subversion, and other types of hybrid warfare from Russia since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

“The actions of the defendants were aimed at causing social anxiety—in particular, making Polish society believe that members of the Wagner group are already on the territory of the Republic of Poland and that Polish services are not working,” said a spokesman for the District Court in Krakow.

Aleksey T. and Andrey G. were arrested in Warsaw in August 2023 and accused of working for foreign intelligence agencies, as well as participating in an international armed group with the aim of committing terrorist crimes.

“The ABW (Internal Security Agency), together with the police, identified and detained two Russians who were distributing propaganda materials of the Wagner group in Krakow and Warsaw,” the Polish interior minister Mariusz Kaminski said after their detention.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the men posted stickers in Krakow and Warsaw with QR codes leading to the Wagner group’s recruitment website.

Earlier, they posted stickers in France and Germany, mocking the defense policies of Western countries.

Also, in March 2024, Mariusz Kaminski, head of the Interior Ministry and Minister-Coordinator of Poland’s special services, announced that Poland’s Internal Security Agency had dismantled a spy network that was operating in favor of Russia. Nine people were detained as part of the operation.

Later in March, further detentions of spies exposed by this network took place in Poland. In particular, on August 4, a Belarusian citizen who had been spying for Russia was detained in Poland.