Polish prosecutors have charged Russian citizen Mikhail Mirgorodsky in absentia, who authorities say led a group of about 30 people who carried out sabotage, espionage and propaganda in the country on orders from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Warsaw says the network is part of a broader destabilization campaign sparked by Poland's strong support for Ukraine, reports „Reuters“, reports News.bg.
Poland has long warned of a „hybrid war“ by Russia and Belarus, including sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow rejects the charges, describing them as “Russophobia“.
According to the prosecutor's office, 28-year-old Mirgorodsky, who is in Russia, used the Telegram app to give orders to his subordinates in Poland. They were charged with a total of five charges, including: organizing espionage and sabotage activities; threats to Ukrainians residing in Poland; participation in arson; financing crimes using cryptocurrencies; ordering a foiled train derailment attempt in 2023.
The investigation shows that the group members communicated via encrypted channels, sent evidence of the tasks in the form of photos and videos, and received rewards in cryptocurrency.
The Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) reported that 16 people from the network were arrested in 2023: 12 Ukrainians, three Belarusians, and one Russian. They received sentences ranging from 13 months to 6 years in prison and fines.
Another eight people - a Pole, a Lithuanian, three Belarusians, a Ukrainian, and two Russians, including Mirgorodski - have been additionally charged. Six of them are outside Poland and are missing. Authorities are searching for at least six other alleged participants in the network.
Last month, Poland closed its last Russian consulate and deployed thousands of troops to guard critical infrastructure after a railway bombing that Warsaw blamed on Ukrainians who collaborated with Russian intelligence.
Russia has not yet commented on the latest allegations, and its embassy in Poland did not respond to media requests. The investigation has heightened concerns in the EU about growing Russian subversion and the risk of new attacks on critical infrastructure.