Poland Foils Alleged Russian-Ordered Plot Targeting US Citizen

Polish authorities have thwarted an alleged Russian plot to assassinate a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Thursday. Tusk described the case as unprecedented, saying it was the first known attempt by someone acting on behalf of Russia to target a US citizen on the territory of another NATO member. The suspect was detained by Polish authorities on August 7 and has been placed in custody for three months.

Tusk said the targeted individual was considered "uncomfortable for the Putin regime", but did not provide further details about the person's identity or activities. Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister overseeing intelligence services, said the operation was conducted in cooperation with US agencies. He identified the intended victim as a US citizen of Ukrainian origin. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the US State Department confirmed it was aware of the reports but had no additional information.

Western officials have previously accused Russia of expanding a campaign of targeted attacks and other covert operations across Europe since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Polish authorities have warned that Russia could seek to target individuals considered hostile to the Kremlin, including Russian dissidents, Ukrainian supporters and military defectors. Tusk urged Poland and its allies to remain prepared to counter such operations, warning that the Russian government could attempt to eliminate people it considers inconvenient in different parts of the world.

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The alleged plot adds to a series of cases in Europe that Western governments have linked to Russian intelligence operations. British authorities have accused Russia of responsibility for the 2006 killing of former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London, while the UK also blamed Moscow for the 2018 attempted assassination of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. German authorities have similarly attributed the 2019 killing of former Chechen rebel commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin to Russia.

Several other alleged plots have been disrupted in recent years. French authorities last year prevented what they believed was an attempt to kill Russian exile Vladimir Osechkin, while Lithuanian officials reported thwarting plots targeting a supporter of Ukraine and a Russian activist. German authorities have also broken up alleged plans targeting the head of a weapons manufacturer supplying Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official. Poland separately arrested a man in 2024 over an alleged plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Western intelligence officials have described the alleged operations as part of a broader Russian campaign intended to intimidate opponents and undermine European countries supporting Ukraine. The Associated Press has documented around 200 incidents of sabotage, arson and other disruption across Europe since the war began that officials have linked to Russia. Moscow has denied conducting a sabotage campaign against Europe, with President Vladimir Putin rejecting such allegations. The latest case in Warsaw is expected to further intensify security concerns among Poland and its NATO allies.

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