Key points
- Polish authorities arrested four people on Thursday on charges of spying for Russian intelligence services and supplying them with military components, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) said.
- Two more people, accused of taking part in an organised criminal group, were placed under non-custodial preventive measures.
- The six suspects are five Polish citizens, aged 25 to 52, and a 37-year-old Russian woman.
- The ABW said the group illegally supplied Russia with significant quantities of military components used, among other things, for the production of ammunition and weapon systems.
- The four people charged with espionage have been remanded in custody for three months, Deutsche Welle reported.
Polish authorities have arrested four people on charges of spying for Russian intelligence services and supplying them with military components, the country's Internal Security Agency, known as the ABW, said on Thursday. Two others, accused of participating in an organised criminal group, have been placed under non-custodial preventive measures, the agency said. Read more: Two men charged under National Security Act over incident at RAF Fairford
The key figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| People arrested on spying charges | 4 | ABW, via Reuters |
| People under non-custodial preventive measures | 2 | ABW, via Reuters |
| Suspects in the case | 6 | ABW, via Reuters |
| Polish citizens among the suspects | 5, aged 25 to 52 | ABW, via Reuters |
| Russian citizen among the suspects | 1, a 37-year-old woman | ABW, via Reuters |
| People suspected of espionage and sabotage involvement since 1 January 2024 | About 100 | Tomasz Siemoniak |
| Remand in custody for those charged with espionage | 3 months | Deutsche Welle |
What the agency says the group did
The ABW said those detained conducted activities on behalf of the Russian special services and took part in activities supporting the military potential of the Russian Federation. The group illegally supplied Russia with significant quantities of military components used, among other things, for the production of ammunition and weapon systems, the agency said in a statement.
Tomasz Siemoniak, the head of Poland's special services, told reporters that Russia is subject to a strict embargo in this area, and that the operation was designed to circumvent it. The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported. The Kremlin has consistently denied conducting sabotage operations in NATO countries or plotting any confrontation, Reuters reported.
A wider pattern of cases
The arrests add to a series of espionage and sabotage cases in Poland. The agency suspects about 100 people of involvement in such incidents since 1 January 2024, according to Siemoniak. The four people charged with espionage have been remanded in custody for three months, Deutsche Welle reported.
What happens next
The two suspects who were not charged with espionage remain under non-custodial preventive measures while the case continues. The charges against the four are allegations at this stage; no trial date has been reported. Europe Unfolded will report developments as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 5 November 2026.
No updates or corrections have been made to this article since publication.
Sources
- Reuters, "Poland arrest four in probe into military supplies sent to Russia", 5 November 2026, on the four arrests on spying charges, the two people under non-custodial measures, the six suspects and their ages and nationalities, the ABW statement on the military components, Siemoniak's embargo remark and the figure of about 100 suspects since January 2024, and the Russian embassy and Kremlin responses: reuters.com
- Deutsche Welle, "Four detainees in Poland charged with espionage", 5 November 2026, on the four detainees charged with espionage and remanded in custody for three months: ua.news (reprint of the Deutsche Welle report)