(MENAFN) Polish authorities announced on Tuesday that 55 people have been arrested in recent months over suspected activities connected to Russian intelligence, a significant increase from an earlier count of eight.

Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesperson for the minister coordinating Poland’s special services, explained that the higher total reflects “a set of broader, overlapping investigations.” He did not provide a case-by-case breakdown or specify charges.

Earlier, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the Internal Security Agency (ABW), working alongside other services, had detained eight individuals “in various parts of the country” on suspicion of preparing acts of sabotage. Tusk posted on X that the investigations are ongoing and that additional operational steps are underway.

Dobrzynski said the detainees are connected to several separate, multi-layered probes into Russian intelligence activity. Among them is 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen Danylo H., arrested near Warsaw on 16 October on suspicion of espionage in both Poland and Romania, in cooperation with the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI). Two other Ukrainian nationals were reportedly detained in Bucharest in a related, Romania-led case.

Authorities have not disclosed specific targets, timelines, or charging decisions for those held in Poland.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has served as a major transit corridor for Western military and humanitarian aid, making it a prime target for espionage and sabotage aimed at railways, energy facilities, depots, and defense suppliers.

Polish security services have previously publicized cases involving railway surveillance, attempted arson at commercial and historical sites, and paid spotters—tactics aligned with Russia’s broader “active measures” across the EU.

Cross-border cooperation with Romania’s SRI, as well as Baltic and Czech intelligence agencies, has intensified, reflecting the transnational nature of these suspected networks.

Under Poland’s Penal Code and counter-espionage statutes, the ABW and Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) are authorized to investigate espionage and sabotage, with courts able to impose pre-trial detention while cases remain classified.

Warsaw has repeatedly warned that Russia is escalating covert and influence operations inside NATO member states.

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