A Polish spy network operating in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave has been thwarted following the arrest of two agents working for Warsaw, according to Moscow. "The Federal Security Service has identified and localized the agent network of the special services of the Republic of Poland, operating in the Kaliningrad region," the FSB said in a statement run by state news agency TASS. Newsweek has contacted the Polish Foreign Ministry for comment and is awaiting a response.
The claims by Russia's main intelligence service come amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Warsaw, which is a key backer of Ukraine. These have been demonstrated by drone incursions into Poland, sabotage attacks linked to Russia, as well as Polish police units deployed to its border with Kaliningrad this month due to the threat of armed incursion by Moscow. This month, Polish authorities arrested eight people suspected of spying for Moscow.
Maksym Beznosiuk, an analyst with Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), told Newsweek there is a broader pattern of intensified Russian hybrid operations against NATO’s eastern flank, particularly Poland. "Moscow aims to force the Polish government to dedicate extra effort to maintaining higher readiness," he said. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave, which is geographically separated from the main territory of the country.
Its location on the Baltic Sea between NATO and EU members Poland and Lithuania makes it a likely flash point for any future clashes between Moscow and the alliance. The FSB said Wednesday that Russia stopped a Polish special services network in the Russian region. Two agents were arrested and accused of collecting and sending information about Russian military personnel and facilities.
They were also accused of sharing information about Kaliningrad's economy, migration and regional policy, and espionage charges have been laid. Also, seven Polish citizens and three Russians were found to be in contact with Polish special services. However, the FSB statement suggested no charges would be brought and they were simply warned about espionage and treason acts.
The Polish citizens have been "banned from entering our country for a long time," the statement added. Separately, a 41-year-old American soldier was arrested near Gloucester, England, on Tuesday on suspicion of espionage related to Russia. The soldier was assigned to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, a British-led NATO corps based in Gloucester., a senior NATO official told CNN.
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