Polish security officials have launched urgent action after police received information about a possible attack targeting Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, raising fresh concerns over security threats facing European leaders as the war in Ukraine grinds on.
Poland’s Interior Ministry confirmed on October 11 that authorities had acted on information concerning a potential attack against the two senior politicians, according to Reuters.
“Following information received by the Polish Police regarding a possible attack … Interior Minister, Marcin Kierwiński, and the Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, Tomasz Siemoniak, have ordered action to be taken in this matter,” ministry spokeswoman Karolina Gałecka wrote on X.
The Internal Security Agency’s Counter-Terrorism Centre, known as ABW, was due to hold a meeting on Sunday to examine the matter. Officials did not disclose further details about the suspected threat, including its origin or whether a specific plot had been identified.
The announcement comes as Polish authorities remain on heightened alert following a wave of violence in schools, adding to the security pressures facing a country that has become one of Ukraine’s most important supporters and a critical logistical hub for Western military assistance.
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The potential threat also emerges against a wider backdrop of European warnings about Russian sabotage and covert operations targeting countries supporting Kyiv.
The Financial Times has reported that European intelligence agencies believe Moscow is seeking to expand sabotage and hybrid operations as Russia faces a battlefield stalemate in Ukraine and mounting economic difficulties. The alleged objective is to weaken Western support for Kyiv in the coming months.
European defence industry executives have reportedly been warned of an increased risk of attacks, including possible assassination attempts against individuals involved in supplying Ukraine.
Smaller manufacturers producing drones and critical components are considered particularly vulnerable as European governments attempt to expand production and strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Germany has responded by increasing engagement between its domestic intelligence service and defence companies. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has advised executives and employees to consider private security where necessary.
Its chief, Sinan Selen, has warned German lawmakers that Russia is deliberately preparing violent acts against selected individuals through state agencies or state-controlled organisations.
The reported methods are also evolving. Rather than relying solely on isolated operatives recruited online for money, Russian military intelligence is alleged to be developing cross-border networks involving criminal groups and intermediaries responsible for surveillance, logistics, planning and execution.
The reported shift could make suspected operations harder to detect and disrupt, particularly when participants are spread across several countries.
For European governments, the concern extends beyond the possibility of individual attacks. Threats against political leaders, defence executives and specialist manufacturers could create an atmosphere of insecurity intended to discourage cooperation with Ukraine without requiring a successful attack.
“They want individuals to think twice before doing business with Ukraine,” one insider told the Financial Times.
There is, however, no public confirmation in the Polish announcement that the reported threat against Tusk and Kosiniak-Kamysz is connected to Russia or the alleged sabotage campaign.
The immediate question for Polish security services is whether the information points to a credible and specific threat. For Europe more broadly, the episode underscores the growing challenge of protecting political leadership and the defence supply chains supporting Ukraine while the conflict continues.
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