Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on August 15 that a Russian national has been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate a US citizen of Ukrainian origin in Warsaw. In his announcement, Tusk did not provide details about the plot or the identity of the intended victim.
The Polish leader said the targeted US citizen was considered "inconvenient for the Putin regime," and the suspect was detained by security forces on August 7. He described the incident as a "very dangerous signal," marking the first time someone "acting on Russian orders" attempted to attack a US citizen on the territory of another NATO member state, and thanked Poland's security agencies.
"At the last moment, thanks to the actions of the Internal Security Agency and the police, we managed to prevent this execution, this attack," Tusk said.
Experts warned that the reported incident comes amid heightened threats from Russia, with Moscow accused of assassinating critics abroad through hired hitmen or poisonings.
The August 7 arrest came after Poland and the Baltic states bordering Russia announced they were monitoring threats from Moscow and boosting security at critical infrastructure.
Earlier this month, German officials also said they faced a "new level of danger" after discovering an explosive-laden quadcopter drone near an airport. Authorities have not identified Russia as the culprit, but US intelligence reports suggest Moscow may have operated the drone.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas also accused Moscow last week of planning "false flag" attacks on infrastructure in the region, using seized Ukrainian drones to "blame" Kyiv.
Russia accuses Ukraine of carrying out assassinations of individuals linked to Moscow's war efforts, following an explosion that killed a Russian military officer in Crimea on August 15.
Authorities in several European countries, including France, Lithuania, and Germany, have in recent years foiled alleged plots targeting Russian dissidents and individuals linked to Ukraine's war efforts. Poland's Security Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said last week's arrest was carried out with coordination with US officials.
