A Polish court has sentenced a Ukrainian and a Belarusian for espionage related to their involvement in gathering intelligence on military equipment deliveries to Ukraine amidst ongoing conflict. This follows a series of accusations from Warsaw regarding Russian espionage activities since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two men were part of a larger group of 16 individuals from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia arrested by Polish authorities in March 2023. The court found that they had participated in an organized criminal group aimed at undermining Poland’s interests.
Maksym L., a 23-year-old Ukrainian, received a six-year prison sentence, while Uladyslau P., a 30-year-old Belarusian, was sentenced to 34 months. Polish law prohibits the publication of their full names.
Judge Miroslaw Brzozowski stated that the group’s objective was to collect intelligence on the type and volume of aid being transferred to Ukraine. The court revealed that between January and March 2023, the defendants installed surveillance devices along crucial cross-border rail routes used for transporting military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv.
Additionally, the group monitored key locations for Western military aid, including the northern seaports of Gdynia and Gdansk, as well as Jasionka Airport and Rzeszow train station, both near the Ukrainian border. The court also noted that the members communicated with their Russian backers via the social media platform Telegram.
