Poland arrests Ukrainian in bombing plot against defense industry figure

On August 20, Poland's Internal Security Agency apprehended a 63-year-old Ukrainian man in Warsaw. He is suspected of attempting to assassinate a representative of Ukraine's defense industry, according to RMF24 and the ABW. The arrest took place on August 5. The suspect, named Serhii P., allegedly planted an improvised explosive device under a vehicle belonging to the intended target in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast.

The device, designed to be remotely detonated via a mobile phone, failed to explode due to a malfunction in the trigger mechanism. After the failed attempt, Serhii P. fled to Poland and was subsequently arrested. He faces charges of attempted murder with explosives, which he had obtained without a permit. A court has ordered him to remain in pretrial detention for three months.

Polish security services believe the arrest averted a potential threat, allowing the suspect to evade authorities in Poland. This arrest is part of a series of suspected Russian-linked plots in Poland. On August 7, a Russian citizen, Semyon Skrepetsky, was arrested in Warsaw on suspicion of planning to kill a dual U.S.-Ukrainian citizen whom the Russian regime deemed problematic.

Skrepetsky, whose real name is Robert Kuzovkov, was shot dead in Poland on June 15. He was known for drawing cartoons of Russian and Belarusian leaders Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko and had been blacklisted by the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets for supporting Russian aggression and inciting ethnic hatred. Skrepetsky moved to Poland in 2021, claiming he was at risk of political persecution.