Poland detains Russian citizen suspected of hacking local firms

Polish authorities detained a Russian citizen suspected of hacking into the IT systems of local companies — the latest in a series of cases Warsaw has linked to Moscow’s expanding sabotage and espionage efforts.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said Thursday that police arrested the man for breaching security systems to gain access to company databases. A more detailed statement from the Krakow prosecutor’s office said the suspect allegedly hacked into an online retailer’s systems without authorization and manipulated its databases in ways that could have disrupted operations and endangered customers.

The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, illegally crossed into Poland in 2022 and obtained refugee status the following year. He has been placed in temporary custody while the investigation continues.

Authorities believe the man may be linked to additional cybercriminal activity targeting companies in Poland and across the EU, and are still assessing the scale of the possible damage.

Poland has repeatedly warned of heightened Russian intelligence activity since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in July that 32 people — including Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Colombian nationals — had been detained on suspicion of working with Russian services to carry out sabotage and arson attacks.

Earlier this year, Warsaw closed the Russian consulate in Krakow after linking Moscow’s intelligence services to a 2023 fire that destroyed a major shopping mall in Warsaw. Last week, Poland shut down the last remaining Russian consulate in the country after authorities said Russian intelligence was suspected of involvement in an explosion on a Polish railway line, which officials described as an act of sabotage.