Poland foils alleged assassination plot against Tusk and defence chief

Polish police have detained a man suspected of planning an attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, as growing fears over covert threats against Europe’s defence industry intensify.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said officers had detained a man in his sixties in the Lower Silesia region of southern Poland after investigators analysed material posted online.

“Security services tracked him down through a detailed analysis of content posted online,” Mr Kierwiński told state broadcaster TVP Info.

Mr Tusk and Mr Kosiniak-Kamysz thanked police for their “swift and decisive” response in separate posts on X. Authorities have not publicly established a connection between the alleged plot and Russia.

The detention comes against a backdrop of heightened security concerns in a country that has become one of Ukraine’s most important supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

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Although violent crime is generally rare in Poland, political tensions remain acute and the country’s proximity to the war has placed national security at the centre of government priorities.

In August, police detained a 23-year-old man accused of calling for the assassination of senior Polish politicians. Mr Tusk has also said he received threats in 2024 following the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The latest case coincides with warnings from European intelligence services about an alleged escalation in Russia’s covert campaign against the continent’s defence industry.

According to the Financial Times, intelligence officials have warned executives that Russian operatives may be preparing attacks against individuals involved in supplying Ukraine, potentially extending Moscow’s suspected sabotage operations beyond infrastructure and industrial targets.

Smaller companies producing drones and critical military components are considered particularly vulnerable as European governments race to expand supplies to Kyiv.

The report identifies Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, as a central force behind the alleged campaign. Russian intelligence officers are reportedly developing cross-border networks involving separate participants responsible for surveillance, logistics, planning and execution.

Such arrangements could make investigations more difficult while helping those directing operations remain detached from their implementation.

The suspected strategy would raise the personal risks faced by businesses and individuals supporting Ukraine, potentially discouraging cooperation without requiring the destruction of factories or supply chains.

“They want individuals to think twice before doing business with Ukraine,” one insider told the Financial Times.

The reported warnings have not established any link between the Polish suspect and Russian intelligence. But the combination of domestic political threats and wider concerns over foreign interference underscores the security pressures facing European governments as military support for Ukraine continues.

For Kyiv’s allies, the challenge extends beyond protecting weapons shipments and critical infrastructure. It increasingly involves safeguarding the people and companies whose work sustains Ukraine’s ability to fight.