Poland says it thwarted Russian plot to kill American citizen in Warsaw
A Russian plan to kill a Ukrainian American citizen in Warsaw was thwarted by Poland before it could be carried out, the Polish prime minister said Thursday, adding it was the first time that “someone on the order of Russia” sought to attack a US citizen on the territory of another NATO country.Western officials have previously warned that Russia stepped up a campaign of targeted killings since President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, saying they have disrupted several plots across Europe.But Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said this incident was unprecedented.The suspect, who was allegedly recruited by Russia’s secret services, was detained by Polish authorities on Aug.
7.He will be held in custody for three months, the Warsaw police said in a statement.The American Ukrainian citizen “was uncomfortable for the Putin regime,” Tusk said in a news conference, without elaborating.The operation was carried out in cooperation with US services, said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister overseeing intelligence services.
He said the targeted victim was a US citizen “of Ukrainian origin.” Officials did not immediately provide further details.The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The US State Department said it was aware of the reports but said it had no additional information.Russia has long been accused of targeting its enemies abroad, including by using rare poisons.But intelligence officials previously told The Associated Press that Russia’s security services are now more brazen in their choice of targets, going after Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine as well as military defectors.“We must assume that the Putin regime will try to eliminate people who are inconvenient for various reasons, in various places around the world,” Tusk said on Thursday.
He said that Poland and others must be prepared to counter such actions.Western officials see the campaign as connected ...