---
title: "Two Ukrainians detained in Poland on suspicion of intelligence gathering and arson disguised as Ukrainian military on Russian orders"
description: "Poland's Internal Security Agency has detained two Ukrainians in Mińsk Mazowiecki on suspicion of photographing military sites and setting fire to cars disguised as Ukrainian soldiers on Russian orders. Nine sabotage acts have been recorded in Poland over six months."
date: 2026-11-10T13:26:32.816Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/poland-detained-ukrainians-intelligence-arson-russia
tags: [poland, ukraine, espionage, sabotage, abw, starlink, drone, arson]
author: "Roman V., Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Two Ukrainians detained in Poland on suspicion of intelligence gathering and arson disguised as Ukrainian military on Russian orders

![Police cars with flashing blue lights on a city street at night](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/polsha-zaaderzhani-ukraincy-razvedka-podzhogi-rf/polsha-zaaderzhani-ukraincy-razvedka-podzhogi-rf-1.webp)

## Key Points

- ABW detained two Ukrainians (24 and 25 years old) in Mińsk Mazowiecki on suspicion of intelligence gathering and arson
- The suspects swapped car plates to resemble Ukrainian military ones to frame Ukraine
- They were paid in cryptocurrency for tasks and remanded in custody for three months
- Between April 1 and October 15, 2026, nine sabotage acts were registered in Poland, including the arson of a Starlink station

In the town of Mińsk Mazowiecki (Poland), the Internal Security Agency (ABW) has detained two Ukrainian citizens aged 24 and 25. According to the investigation, the men were photographing military installations and critical infrastructure, as well as setting fire to vehicles. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement from the Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security of Poland (SPRAVDI). By court decision, both suspects have been remanded in custody for three months.

### Method: license plate swapping and shifting the blame

The investigation established that before carrying out the arsons, the suspects deliberately changed the license plates of their vehicles to those visually resembling plates used by the Ukrainian army. According to Polish investigators, such actions were aimed at shifting suspicion onto Ukraine and inciting anti-Ukrainian sentiment among the local population. For carrying out their tasks, the men received financial remuneration, including in cryptocurrency, which, investigators believe, indicates remote management and an attempt to complicate the tracking of funding channels.

### Nine sabotage acts in six months: from drones to Starlink

SPRAVDI notes that between April 1 and October 15, 2026, nine cases of sabotage activities were registered on the territory of Poland. Among the most high-profile episodes are a fire at a company producing components for combat unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the arson of a Starlink satellite communication station. According to the Polish authorities, these incidents indicate the systemic nature of sabotage activity within the country and its targeting of objects critical to defense infrastructure and communications.

### Context: a series of detentions in Poland

The detention of the two Ukrainians is not an isolated event. Recently, a Russian citizen was detained in Poland on suspicion of working for a foreign intelligence service: he was photographing trains and railway infrastructure. Earlier, a 25-year-old Ukrainian was also detained on suspicion of involvement in a group preparing sabotage on Russian orders. Together, these episodes form a picture in which Polish special services are recording a steady line of sabotage and reconnaissance activity aimed both at gathering information and creating information noise and destabilizing public sentiment.

### What's next

The court proceedings regarding the two detained Ukrainians are at the preliminary investigation stage. The three-month custody period can be extended upon the prosecutor's request. The Polish authorities have not disclosed details regarding which specific military and critical infrastructure facilities were photographed, nor the full list of arsons the detainees are suspected of. Official Kyiv had not commented on the incident at the time of publication.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Диверсии и поджоги в Польше: агенты РФ выдавали себя за украинских военных](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/diversiyi-ta-pidpali-polshchi-agenti-rf-vidavali-1794314427.html) - Single source. Chain: RBC-Ukraine → SPRAVDI/ABW. The fact of detention has been confirmed; specific charges are at the investigation stage. Cross-checking with second independent sources was not performed at the time of preparation.

## FAQ

### Who detained the suspects and where?

Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained two Ukrainian citizens aged 24 and 25 in the town of Mińsk Mazowiecki.

### What exactly are the detainees suspected of?

Photographing military facilities and critical infrastructure, as well as setting fire to vehicles. The investigation believes that before the arsons, they changed license plates to resemble Ukrainian military ones to shift suspicion onto Ukraine.

### What punishment do they face?

By court decision, both were remanded in custody for three months. The further course of the case depends on the results of the preliminary investigation and the prosecutor's stance.

### How many sabotage acts were recorded in Poland in 2026?

According to SPRAVDI, nine cases of sabotage were registered from April 1 to October 15, 2026, including a fire at a combat drone component manufacturing enterprise and the arson of a Starlink satellite communication station.