Poland Arrests Suspected Russian Spy, Court Grants Three-Month Pre-Trial Detention

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Prosecutors in northern Poland said Monday a foreign national suspected of spying for Russia will remain in custody for three months until an investigation is completed.

Prosecutors in Gdansk responsible for military matters said the foreigner, whose identity has not been released, admitted to having passed sensitive information to Russian intelligence.

The suspect has been in European Union-member Poland since January and has collected information on key infrastructure and security procedures in the country’s north, spokeswoman Grazyna Wawryniuk said.

Poland´s gas terminal and key ports are located in the north.

A court granted a prosecution request to keep the suspect in custody for three months to assist investigators. The suspect faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

This is the latest in a number of arrests of individuals suspected of spying for Russia since Moscow’s Feb. 24 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Poland has remained a staunch supporter of Kyiv.

Earlier this month, Polish authorities detained nine people suspected of being members of a Russian espionage ring preparing acts of sabotage. Meanwhile, a Spanish journalist who also has a Russian passport has been in custody for over a year on espionage allegations.