Poland detains 9 people suspected of spying for Russia

Polish authorities said Thursday that the nation's security services have detained members of a Russian espionage ring, alleging that they were preparing acts of sabotage in Poland and had been monitoring railroad routes used for the transport of weapons into Ukraine.

Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said the Internal Security Agency had arrested nine people suspected of spying for Russia in the case. Three were detained on Wednesday.

He said at a news conference in Warsaw that the suspects were preparing "sabotage actions aimed at paralysing the supply of equipment, weapons and aid to Ukraine." He said the security agents also seized cameras, electronic equipment and GPS transmitters, which the suspects planned to place on transports carrying aid to Ukraine.

Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak suggested that the group had entered from neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally that borders NATO member Poland.

"The threat was real," Blaszczak said on state radio.

Private radio RMF FM broke the news about the arrests, saying that the group had been collecting information in southeastern Poland around the military airport in Jasionka, which is a transit point for weapons and munitions sent to Ukraine by countries supporting Kyiv's fight against Russia's invasion that has entered its second year.

Kaminski said the operation against the alleged espionage ring was still ongoing, and that more details would be revealed at a later time.