Poland’s justice authorities have announced the arrest of a professional ice hockey player on allegations of working as a spy for the Russian government.
The player, described as a Russian national and a member of a first-division club, had been present in Poland since 2021.
Prosecutors claim that he was involved in espionage activities, including identifying critical infrastructure, and is the 14th member of the espionage network to be arrested. The Russian Foreign Ministry has demanded an explanation from Poland regarding the arrest.
Furthermore, the accused hockey player faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors assert that he was paid for his involvement in espionage, and he is part of a network of individuals conducting intelligence and propaganda activities against Poland on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Additionally, this arrest follows previous espionage cases in Poland involving individuals connected to Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU.
Concerns about cybersecurity and potential cyberattacks have been heightened, as evidenced by recent arrests in Norway related to drone incidents near energy installations. Intelligence agencies, including those of Finland and Switzerland, have warned that efforts to undermine Russia’s human intelligence networks could lead to an increase in cyberattacks.
Both Poland and Ukraine have been targeted by the Prestige ransomware, attributed to the GRU-associated Iridium hacking group, which experts believe is a response to Poland’s support for Ukraine and an attempt to destabilize the region.
