A Colombian citizen acting in favor of Russian intelligence committed a series of arson attacks in Poland and the Czech Republic in 2023 and 2024, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABV) reported, quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
According to the ABV, in May 2024, the 27-year-old man set fire to two construction materials warehouses in Poland, acting on instructions from Russian services. “He was trained by a person connected to Russian intelligence structures how to prepare incendiary substances, “Molotov“ cocktails and how to document his actions“, Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the coordinator of the special services, said at a press conference.
After the arson attacks, the photos and videos taken were used by Russian propaganda media to spread disinformation. They published false claims that one of the fires occurred at a logistics center in Radom, where weapons provided by Europe to Ukraine were stored.
After his actions in Poland, the Colombian citizen traveled to the Czech Republic, where he set fire to a bus depot. He is believed to have been preparing another attack on a shopping mall, but was detained by Czech authorities before carrying it out.
According to Dobrzynski, the man has already been sentenced to 8 years in prison in the Czech Republic for terrorist acts, and in Poland he could face up to 10 years in prison or even life imprisonment. He has made a partial confession.
Polish authorities have described his actions as part of the "hybrid war" waged by Russia against countries supporting Ukraine. The tactics include sabotage, arson and cyberattacks aimed at destabilizing the internal security of partner countries.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw declined to comment on the case, telling “Reuters“ that it would not respond to "baseless accusations". Moscow has previously denied involvement in such operations on European soil.