Polish authorities are set to press charges against two Ukrainians for allegedly carrying out a terrorist-style sabotage on behalf of Russia by causing an explosion that damaged a train track used for transporting goods to Ukraine, according to prosecutors on Wednesday. The suspects reportedly fled to Belarus immediately after the attack on a railway line connecting Warsaw to the Ukrainian border. Authorities claim that the two Ukrainians had been working in collaboration with Russian intelligence services for an extended period.
Additional individuals have been apprehended in connection with the railway blast, although further details have not been disclosed by prosecutors. Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski have condemned the incident as an unprecedented act of sabotage and an act of state terror, respectively.
The explosion, which occurred near Mika, approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Warsaw, caused damage to the tracks but did not result in any injuries. In a separate incident over the weekend, power lines were destroyed in Puławy, around 50 kilometers from Lublin in eastern Poland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed suspicions of a Russian connection to the sabotage, stating that only Russians would have an interest in such actions. Zelenskyy pledged to provide Poland with all necessary information and announced the formation of a joint Polish-Ukrainian working group to prevent future acts of Russian sabotage.
Western officials have pointed fingers at Russia and its allies for orchestrating numerous attacks and incidents across Europe following the invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. The purported aim is to weaken support for Ukraine, instill fear, and sow discord within European societies.
In response to the attack, the Polish government announced plans to deploy up to 10,000 soldiers to assist the police in protecting critical infrastructure throughout the country. Sikorski also declared the closure of the last Russian consulate in Gdansk, in addition to the shutdown of two other consulates in Krakow and Poznan in recent years. The Russian embassy in Warsaw remains operational.
In retaliation, Moscow announced measures to reduce Poland’s diplomatic and consular presence in Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Poland’s actions were met with a reciprocal downsizing of diplomatic ties. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed regret over the deteriorating relations between the two countries, citing Poland’s apparent desire to sever consular and diplomatic connections.