Poland: a Belarusian accused of sabotage on behalf of Russian services
The Polish prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday that it had charged a Bélarusian citizen, identified as Stepan K., in a case of sabotage acts prepared or perpetrated in Poland or in other countries, on behalf of Russian services.
He had been accused of having, by “An act of sabotage”set fire to a DIY department store in Warsaw in April 2024. “Stepan K. has placed an incendiary load and activated it remotely”the prosecutor said before the press Przemyslaw Nowak. According to the prosecution, “Stepan K. provoked this fire for the benefit of a foreign intelligence service, namely the Russian Federation, and on the orders of the Russian secret service”. The accused filmed his act “With a mobile phone and sent it, among other things, to its sponsors”said Mr. Nowak. Stepan K. risks life prison, according to the prosecutor.
Surveys have since been opened, especially on criminal fires from large -area stores in Poland and other countries in central and eastern Europe, including Lithuania. In total, six people have been arrested to date as part of investigations relating to acts of sabotage in Poland and Lithuania, underlined Mr. Nowak. Since the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, Poland, a faithful ally of kyiv, said it was the target of orchestrated sabotage attempts, according to Warsaw, by Russia. In retaliation, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in October the closure of the Russian consulate in Poznan.
Source: Lemonde