Poland Detains Belarusian Suspected of Spying for Russia

Poland has detained a Belarusian man on suspicion of being part of a "Russian spy ring", Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Friday. "

Belarusian Mikhail A. took part in reconnaissance of military facilities and ports. He also carried out propaganda activities for Russia," Kaminski said on Twitter, adding the man was the sixteenth person held in connection with the alleged spy network.

Poland, a key ally of Ukraine, had previously informed about arrests in the investigation, including of a Russian ice hockey player in June, also held on spy charges.

Polish government in a statement on Friday said the recently arrest Belarusian man came to Poland in 2021 and "maintained contacts with citizens of the Russian Federation, with whom he was meeting in Saint Petersburg and Crimea."

"The man often changed the means of communication and was destroying traces of his criminal activities," the statement added, saying that the 39-year-old suspect pleaded "partly guilty".

Poland, a NATO member, has recently raised fresh concerns about possible provocations coming from neighbouring Belarus, which now hosts Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group.

Earlier this week Warsaw announced two Belarusian military helicopters had violated Polish airspace, which prompted Poland's decision to reinforce its eastern border.