Poland authorities have detained a Belarusian man on suspicion of spying for Minsk’s military intelligence, prosecutors in Warsaw said on Monday, marking a further escalation in security concerns between the two neighbouring capitals.
The suspect, identified only as Pavlov T. in accordance with Polish privacy laws, was arrested earlier this month and has been remanded in custody for three months while prosecutors pursue an espionage case. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the charges, investigators allege that the man conducted intelligence‑gathering operations not only in Poland but also in Germany and Lithuania, all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Prosecutors say his activities included reconnaissance of critical infrastructure and defence facilities, targets that are significant to both Polish national security and NATO operations in the region.
The detention comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Poland and Belarus, which have deteriorated further since Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Warsaw has repeatedly accused Belarus and its ally Moscow of using hybrid tactics, including intelligence operations and border pressure, to destabilise countries strongly supporting Kyiv.
Poland’s domestic counterintelligence service, the Internal Security Agency (ABW), cooperated with German and Lithuanian security services on the case, the Reuters report noted, underscoring Warsaw’s emphasis on close security collaboration within NATO.
The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case adds to a series of espionage and security incidents in the region, reflecting ongoing geopolitical frictions on NATO’s eastern flank.
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