In Poland, three people convicted of spying for Russia disappeared when they were released from custody.
Rzeczpospolita writes about it.
A total of 16 people, including 13 Ukrainians, two Belarusians and one Russian, were sentenced in Poland for anti-Polish propaganda, preparation of sabotage and illegal tracking of military aid to Ukraine.
Three of them — Artur M. (16 years old at the time of detention), Yaroslav B. (44 years old) and Maria M. (now 20 years old) — received minimum sentences of one to one and a half years of imprisonment. However, they did not appear at the prison.
The court sentenced Ukrainian Yaroslav B. to serve his sentence in January, and then reminded him about it in April and May. He simply disappeared.
Minor Artur M. was 16 years old at the time of detention, he was supposed to be sent to a correctional institution for minors, but he never appeared when summoned.
In the meantime, the Belarusian Maria M. filed a request for parole and did not come to the court session. Her whereabouts are unknown.
As Rzeczpospolita writes, the investigation established that Yaroslav B. and Maria M. gave their accounts in order to send money there for completed tasks. Yaroslav bought and registered SIM cards, which spies used in cameras installed on train routes. Maria also posted leaflets inciting hatred towards Ukrainians and aid to Ukraine.
The youngest defendant, Artur, bought cameras to monitor the airport in Jasionka, the railway in Rzeszów, and also recruited people who installed the cameras.
- In December 2023, the Lublin District Court convicted 14 of the 16 defendants who were controlled by "Andrii," an alleged Russian FSB officer. It became the largest spy network in Poland. The group of spies was discovered when Polish law enforcement officers found hidden cameras recording the movement of trains and transmitting this data. The cameras were found, in particular, in the area of the Rzeszów-Jasenko airport, through which Western weapons go to Ukraine.
- Polish investigators found out that the spies were active from January to March 2023 in Bila Pidliaska, Chelm, Medica, Przemyśl, Rzeszów, Warsaw and other settlements of the country.