A Polish man has been arrested and charged over an alleged Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The man, identified by Polish prosecutors as Pawel K, is accused of seeking contact with Russia's military intelligence with the intention of providing Moscow with information that would aid an assassination attempt on the Ukrainian leader.
He was arrested in Poland on Wednesday, according to a Thursday statement from the office of Poland's national prosecutor.
The Context
Zelensky has previously said that he had lost track of the number of times Moscow has attempted to assassinate him since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of his country in February 2022.
Just a few months into the war, in May 2022, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak claimed that Zelensky had survived over a dozen assassination attempts since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Moscow has denied all accusations that it has plotted to assassinate Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader has said that his country has every right to kill his Russian counterpart if the opportunity arises, if doing so would protect Ukraine and his people.
What We Know
In a statement, the office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine said on Thursday that a Polish citizen was detained "on suspicion of being ready to act for the benefit of the special services of the Russian Federation."
The suspect "on his own initiative, established contact" with representatives of the command of the Russian Armed Forces and told them that he was prepared to work for Russian military intelligence.
The man was tasked with passing on detailed information to Russia about the security of the Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, which is located in south-eastern Poland, near to the border with Ukraine.
The Associated Press reported that the airport, which is under the control of the U.S. armed forces, serves as the gateway for military and humanitarian aid being sent from Ukraine's allies to the war-torn country. Politicians and leaders also use the airport to travel in and out of Ukraine.
"This, in particular, was supposed to help the Russian special services plan a possible attempt on Zelensky's life during a stay in [Poland]," the Ukrainian prosecutor's office said.
The suspect faces up to eight years imprisonment if convicted, the office of Poland's National Prosecutor said.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's foreign ministry for comment by email.
Views
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the case shows that Russia poses a "persistent threat...not only to Ukraine and Ukrainians but to the entire free world."
"The Kremlin's criminal regime is constantly trying to undermine European and global security," he said in a statement. "It organizes and carries out sabotage operations on the territory of other sovereign states."
What's Next?
Ukraine said an investigation is being conducted by Poland's domestic counterintelligence and security agency, under the supervision of its prosecutor's office.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
