Polish prosecutors have charged a Russian national, Mikhail Mirgorodsky, in absentia with leading a sabotage and espionage network in Poland linked to Russia, authorities said on Tuesday.
Mirgorodsky, 28, allegedly used the messaging app Telegram to direct a group of around 30 people carrying out sabotage, arson attacks, and threats against Ukrainians in Poland on behalf of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). Prosecutors filed five charges against him, including orchestrating a foiled train derailment in 2023 and financing operations through cryptocurrency exchanges.
Poland has long accused Russia and Belarus of waging a hybrid war involving sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Last month, Poland closed the last Russian consulate on its soil and deployed troops to protect key infrastructure after a railway explosion it attributed to Russian intelligence collaborators.
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) said 16 members of Mirgorodsky's network were arrested in 2023, including Ukrainians, Belarusians, and one Russian, receiving prison terms ranging from 13 months to six years. Authorities are now pursuing eight additional suspects, six of whom remain at large.