© unsplash The sixth suspect is in Azerbaijan.
Polish judicial authorities have brought charges against five individuals for conspiring to commit acts of subversion on the instruction of Russian intelligence operatives . They were allegedly intending to dispatch explosive-laden packages to Great Britain, the United States, Canada, as well as other nations. If found guilty, the accused could face imprisonment for life, Reuters conveys .
The Polish National Prosecutor’s Office stated publicly that the defendants consist of four citizens of Ukraine and a solitary citizen of Russia. The quintet stands accused of carrying out, or making ready to carry out, acts of sabotage directed at vital logistical and aviation infrastructure.
One of the group, Vladislav D., had designs to construct parcels containing concealed incendiary and explosive mechanisms, with the intent to send them to the UK and Poland. Another, Vyacheslav S., was planning to dispatch two exploratory parcels to destinations in the US and Canada.
The third defendant, Vladislav B., faces charges for accepting, keeping, and moving parcels between Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, and Kaunas, a city in the center of the country.
As per information from the prosecutor’s office, the fourth accused individual, Serhiy Ya., allegedly bore the responsibility of managing and bolstering the group’s operations, which included finding recruits for sabotage involvement, coordinating hazardous materials transit, and providing logistical support. The fifth participant, Oleksandr B., was tasked with setting up preparations for future subversive acts tied to mailing packages to the United States and Canada, including the process of ordering and sending goods in test parcels.
Additionally, prosecution officials mentioned that a sixth individual of interest, a Russian national named Yaroslav M., remains without formal charges at this time. Poland is endeavoring to secure his extradition from Azerbaijan.
In a message relayed to Reuters, a representative from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared that the suspects had been pinpointed and apprehended thanks to collaboration with Ukrainian law enforcement bodies. He called on Ukrainian nationals to dismiss “promises of effortless income” emanating from Russian intelligence.
“Russian intelligence agencies are trying to enlist individuals and involve them in acts of sabotage through internet platforms and communication apps, including Telegram,” the spokesman revealed.
Previous reports have indicated that sabotage in 2024 caused the detonation of three packages across different courier depots in the UK, Germany, and Poland.
Furthermore, Lithuania also disclosed separately the past year that parcel detonations managed by DHL were formulated and controlled by Russian citizens with connections to Russian military intelligence apparatus.
To remind, the German judicial authority has leveled accusations against two Ukrainians regarding espionage and acts of sabotage. They might have been arranging to detonate packages during their transit within Europe, acting on behalf of Russian intelligence. In March 2025, suspects Danylo B. and Vladislav T. dispatched two parcels, equipped with GPS trackers, from Cologne, a West German city, to the unoccupied segment of Ukraine. This action was conducted for Russian intelligence through mediators situated in Mariupol.