LUBLIN: A Polish court has convicted 14 persons from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine on charges of espionage, accusing them of being part of a spy ring plotting acts of sabotage in support of Moscow.
The defendants, who were charged last month, faced accusations of attempting to derail trains carrying aid to Ukraine, monitoring critical infrastructure, and observing military facilities in the NATO member state. The court delivered jail terms ranging from 13 months to six years.
Judge Jaroslaw Kowalski, announcing the verdict, stated, “The court found all the defendants guilty of the crimes charged, and found some of them to be operating within an organized criminal group.” Notably, all 14 defendants were convicted in absentia as they pleaded guilty and chose to skip the trial. Two additional alleged members of the spy ring will face a separate trial after withdrawing their initial guilty pleas.
Among those convicted is a Russian player for a Polish ice hockey club, sentenced to 2 years and 11 months. The arrest of Maxim Sergeyev in June triggered a strong protest from Moscow, demanding a comprehensive explanation.
The espionage ring also comprised two Ukrainian lawyers, a political scientist, a French language teacher, a pharmacy technician, and a software engineer, as reported by the Rzeczpospolita daily.
Russia’s Spy Ring Busted in Poland
Investigators revealed that the spy ring members received their orders through the Telegram messaging app and were compensated in cryptocurrency, ranging from $300 to around $10,000, according to Polish media. Prosecutor Piotr Lopatynski highlighted the role of Telegram and cryptocurrency, describing it as a “new, perhaps hitherto unknown way of running or organizing a spy network in Poland.”
Most members of the spy ring were apprehended in March, following the discovery of hidden cameras on important railway routes and junctions. These cameras were recording and transmitting data on traffic. The convicted spies surveilled border checkpoints with Ukraine and major rail routes used for transporting weapons and humanitarian aid to the neighboring country. Their activities also included distributing propaganda handouts inciting hatred towards Ukraine.
