Polish authorities arrested a Russian citizen on August 7 over an alleged plot to kill an American citizen of Ukrainian origin in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday.
Tusk did not identify the alleged target or disclose details of the plan. He said the person was considered “inconvenient to the Putin regime” and that Poland’s Internal Security Agency and police prevented the attack.
What Polish officials have said
Tusk described the alleged plot as a “very dangerous signal” and said it was the first known instance of someone acting on Russia’s order to attack a US citizen on the territory of another NATO country. His statement did not provide evidence publicly linking the suspect to a specific Russian operation.
Tomasz Siemoniak, the Polish minister overseeing security services, said the arrest was carried out in cooperation with US authorities.
Related coverage: Ukraine seeks Patriot missiles as Russian attacks intensify.
The wider security context
The arrest comes as Poland and several Baltic states bordering Russia have said they are monitoring threats from Moscow and have increased security at key infrastructure sites.
The report also described growing concern across Europe about threats linked to Russia amid the war in Ukraine. German authorities said earlier this month that they faced “a new level of danger” after finding an explosives-laden quadcopter near an airport, although officials did not identify Russia as responsible.
What remains unknown
Polish authorities have not named the alleged target, explained how the plot was organised or disclosed the evidence against the arrested man. The supplied information also does not state what charges he faces or when prosecutors will present the case in court.
Authorities in France, Lithuania and Germany have broken up other alleged plots targeting Russian dissidents and people connected to the war in Ukraine in recent years, but the supplied information does not establish that those cases are linked to the Warsaw arrest.
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