Polish police said on Friday that they had detained a 55-year-old Russian man suspected of acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence service and engaging in sabotage activities. A court has ordered that he remain in custody for three months.
Officers providing security at a football match in the southern Polish city of Świdnica spotted a man near a railway crossing photographing passing trains and railway infrastructure. Police said they found thousands of photographs of key transport sites and facilities in his possession, including locations outside Poland.
“The man is suspected of carrying out activities on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. All indications suggest that the photographs he took may have been used against the security of the state,” police said in a statement.
Poland has repeatedly accused Russia of conducting espionage and influence operations on its territory, including through foreign nationals. Moscow has denied such activities.
