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Polish authorities have detained a foreign military intelligence officer suspected of conducting espionage operations against Poland and its NATO allies, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Friday.
The suspect, a national from a former Soviet republic in Asia, was arrested earlier this week by Poland's Internal Security Agency and remains in pre-trial detention. Polish officials described him as a career intelligence operative who allegedly carried out surveillance activities while operating under diplomatic cover.
"Sooner or later, we are going to get everyone who endangers the security of the Polish state," Tusk said during the announcement. "And probably sooner rather than later."
According to Poland's National Public Prosecutor's Office, the alleged spy conducted intelligence operations in Warsaw and the northern city of Bydgoszcz between March 15 and July 30.
The activities were aimed at "compromising the security of the Republic of Poland and allied military structures," said Tomasz Siemoniak, the government's coordinator of special services.
The suspect has denied the charges against him. If convicted, he faces between five and 30 years in prison under Polish law.
The arrest comes amid heightened security concerns across Eastern Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Poland, which shares borders with both Ukraine and Russia's Kaliningrad region, has become a key staging ground for Western military aid to Ukraine and hosts thousands of NATO troops.
Tusk revealed that Polish authorities have detained 32 individuals in recent operations targeting what he described as Kremlin-directed acts of violence and subversion.
The suspects include nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Colombia, and Poland, highlighting the international scope of alleged Russian intelligence operations in the region.
The case underscores Poland's efforts to counter foreign espionage activities as the country plays an increasingly prominent role in NATO's eastern flank and continues to support Ukraine's defense against Russian forces.
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