Poland detains Russian for 'execution' plot in Warsaw, Tusk says

On August 7, Polish security services apprehended a Russian national who was allegedly planning to murder a U.S.-Ukrainian citizen in Warsaw on behalf of Russian intelligence, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced during a press conference. Tusk credited the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and American services for thwarting the assassination attempt.

He warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime is likely to target individuals deemed inconvenient by the regime in various parts of the world. Tusk emphasized that this marks the first instance of a Russian plot targeting an American citizen within another NATO country, specifically Poland. Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister coordinator for special services, confirmed the details of the operation on X, stating the assassination was intended to occur in Warsaw.

Tusk framed the plot as part of a larger hybrid warfare campaign Russia is conducting against Western nations supporting Ukraine. He assured that Polish authorities are prepared to counter similar threats in the future. This incident follows a similar case in June, when a Georgian citizen shot and killed a Russian critic named Semyon Skrepetsky in Biała Podlaska, Poland.

Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, had been living in Poland since 2021 after fleeing political persecution in Russia. His satirical work often mocked Russian leaders Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, and Ramzan Kadyrov. According to EU Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius, Skrepetsky's assassination serves as a warning to Europe, with further shocks likely if Western member states fail to take Russian threats more seriously.