Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that a Russian plan to assassinate a Ukrainian American citizen in Warsaw was thwarted by Polish authorities. Tusk stated that this marks the first time "someone on the order of Russia" has sought to attack a US citizen on the territory of another NATO country.
Suspect Detained and Charges
The suspect, allegedly recruited by Russia's secret services, was detained by Polish authorities on 7 August and will be held in custody for three months, according to a statement from Warsaw police. Tusk, speaking at a news conference, said the American Ukrainian citizen "was uncomfortable for the Putin regime," without providing further details.
Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister overseeing intelligence services, confirmed the operation was carried out in cooperation with US services. He identified the targeted victim as a US citizen "of Ukrainian origin," but officials did not immediately provide additional information.
International Reactions and Context
The Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the US state department said it was aware of the reports but had no additional information. Western officials have previously warned that Russia has intensified a campaign of targeted killings since Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, disrupting several plots across Europe.
Tusk emphasized that "we must assume that the Putin regime will try to eliminate people who are inconvenient for various reasons, in various places around the world," and that Poland and other countries must be prepared to counter such actions.
Previous Incidents and Broader Campaign
Intelligence officials earlier told the Associated Press that Russia's security services have become more brazen in their target selection, going after Russian activists, foreign supporters of Ukraine, and military defectors. Western officials see this campaign as linked to Russia's efforts to undermine European countries supporting Ukraine. The AP has mapped about 200 acts of sabotage, arson, and other disruption across Europe since the start of the war, attributed to Russia.
Historical cases include the 2006 killing of former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London with radioactive polonium, the 2018 attempted killing of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury with novichok, and the 2019 killing of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin, for which Russia was blamed. In June, a Russian artist critical of Putin was shot dead in Poland, with Tusk noting the killing had hallmarks of a political assassination.
Last year, French and Lithuanian officials disrupted plots, and German authorities broke up two others. Polish authorities also arrested a man in 2024 in an alleged plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was killed in Spain, with Russian operatives as prime suspects.
A senior European intelligence official previously told the AP, "This campaign is not by accident or chance. There is political authorisation."
