Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has identified two Ukrainian nationals, long associated with Russian intelligence, as the suspects behind recent acts of sabotage on Poland’s rail network.
One of the suspects had previously been convicted in absentia for sabotage in Ukraine, Tusk told parliament. The two incidents targeted the Warsaw-Lublin railway line and occurred over the weekend and on Monday.
On Monday, Tusk visited the site of an explosion near Mika, southeast of Warsaw, which damaged the railway leading to the Ukrainian border. He described the attack as an “unprecedented act of sabotage.” Another incident near Pulawy forced a passenger train carrying 475 people to brake suddenly after damage was discovered to overhead cables.
Polish authorities initially indicated a “very high chance” that a foreign service was involved. A spokesperson for Poland’s special services later said “everything points to them being Russian special services.” Tusk added that Russia’s goal was to cause a rail catastrophe and stir panic and anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Polish society, which hosts over one million Ukrainian war refugees.
The suspects reportedly crossed into Poland from Belarus during the autumn and have since returned to Belarus via Terespol, near the Ukrainian border. Tusk said he would not disclose their names to avoid complicating the investigation.
A military-grade C4 explosive detonated near Mika on 15 November as a freight train passed, causing minor damage to a wagon floor. CCTV captured the incident, though the train driver did not notice it. A previous attempt to derail a train using a steel clamp had failed.
The second sabotage on 17 November damaged infrastructure along the line, forcing a passenger train to brake abruptly. Tusk said he would issue an order to raise the alert level on certain railway lines. Since the start of last year, 55 people have been detained in Poland on suspicion of assisting or committing sabotage, with 23 remanded in custody.
The Kremlin dismissed suggestions of Russian involvement. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that accusations of Russia’s role were “really strange” and suggested “Russophobia is rampant” in Poland.
Poland, a NATO and EU member, has seen its rail network become crucial for transporting aid into Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Tusk also noted previous incidents, including drone incursions that temporarily closed airports and were intercepted by Polish and NATO forces.
