WARSAW, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Poland has detained a Belarusian man on suspicion of conducting espionage on behalf of Minsk’s military intelligence, prosecutors said on Monday, as Warsaw warns of Russian and Belarusian attempts to destabilise countries backing Ukraine.
Already strained relations between Warsaw and Minsk have sunk to new lows since Belarus’ ally, Russia, invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The man, identified only as Pavlov T. under Polish privacy laws, has been detained for three months and faces at least five years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said in a statement.
He has been charged with gathering intelligence for Minsk in NATO allies Poland, Germany and Lithuania. His activities include reconnaissance of critical infrastructure, including facilities important for the defence of Poland and NATO, the prosecutors said.
The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
(Reporting by Anna Koper; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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