Speaking to parliament on 18/11, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that two Ukrainian citizens are suspects in two recent railway sabotage incidents in Poland. He added that the suspects had cooperated with Russian intelligence "for a long time", citing information from Polish investigating authorities and prosecutors.
The two incidents occurred between 15-17/11, damaging a railway line used for transporting goods to Ukraine. Prime Minister Tusk described this as "perhaps the most serious national security situation" in Poland since the conflict in Ukraine began in early 2022.
Tusk explained that the suspects attached steel clamps to the tracks in the first incident, "possibly aiming to derail a train". In the second sabotage, a military-grade explosive device was detonated as a freight train passed. No one was injured in either incident.
 |
Investigators work at a damaged railway track in Mika, central Poland on 17/11. Photo: AFP |
According to the Polish Prime Minister, one of the two suspects was reportedly convicted of "sabotage" by a court in Lviv, Ukraine, in 5. The other suspect is a resident of the Donbass region, and the two suspects arrived in Poland together via Belarus in autumn. Immediately after carrying out the sabotages, the two suspects reportedly left Poland for Belarus.
Tusk suggested these actions also aimed to cause "social and political consequences", including increasing anti-Ukraine sentiment. The specific identities of the two suspects have not been disclosed to aid the ongoing investigation.
Responding to the information, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Poland has "anti-Russian sentiment". "It would be strange if Russia were not immediately blamed", Peskov remarked.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on Prime Minister Tusk's latest statement. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga previously expressed solidarity with Poland after the sabotages, suggesting they were conducted to "test reactions".
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Poland has been one of Ukraine's strongest supporters. Poland imposed travel restrictions on Russian diplomats within its territory, ordered the closure of two consulates, and arrested a total of 55 individuals suspected of working for Moscow.
Pham Giang (According to AFP, RT)
