Polish authorities have charged an 18-year-old Ukrainian national, identified as Illia K., with conducting a series of sabotage operations allegedly directed by Russian intelligence. Prosecutors state the suspect carried out 47 criminal acts between November 2024 and his arrest in August 2025, with the primary objective of fueling ethnic tensions between Poland and Ukraine.

According to Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW), the suspect received instructions via a messaging service and provided photographic evidence of completed tasks. Investigators allege that the teenager was motivated by financial gain, utilizing cryptocurrency accounts registered in Russia and China to recruit others for these activities. The charges include the vandalism of the Monument to the Jewish Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto and memorials dedicated to victims of the Volhynia massacre in Domostawa and Wrocław. These acts involved the use of symbols and inscriptions glorifying the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group responsible for the mass killing of Polish citizens during World War II.

Beyond acts of vandalism, the suspect is accused of preparing to fly a drone over the vehicle of Polish official Karol Nawrocki during the Armed Forces' Day parade in Warsaw. He was taken into custody three days prior to the event. If convicted, the suspect faces a potential life sentence.

The ABW noted that Russian intelligence services have increasingly sought to exploit historical grievances to discredit Poland internationally. This incident follows a significant rise in espionage investigations within the country, with the ABW reporting 48 such cases last year. The historical sensitivity surrounding the UPA remains a complex issue in bilateral relations, as the two nations hold starkly different perspectives on the group's legacy regarding its anti-Soviet resistance versus its role in wartime atrocities.

Source: BBC News