Poland issues warrant for alleged Russian spy

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The news in Polish

1. prokurator  (m.)
   urzędnik państwowy, który oskarża osoby o popełnienie przestępstwa przed sądem ↩︎
2. szpiegostwo  (n.)
   tajne zbieranie informacji, zwykle dla obcego państwa, często w celach wojskowych lub politycznych ↩︎
3. sabotaż  (m.)
   celowe niszczenie lub utrudnianie działań, aby zaszkodzić wrogowi lub organizacji ↩︎
4. służba  (f.)
   instytucja lub organizacja wykonująca określone zadania dla państwa, np. wojsko, policja, wywiad ↩︎
5. propaganda  (f.)
   działania polegające na rozpowszechnianiu informacji i opinii, często jednostronnych, aby wpływać na poglądy ludzi ↩︎
6. wykolejenie  (n.)
   sytuacja, gdy pociąg wypada z torów i przestaje po nich jechać ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What is Michaił Mirgorodski suspected of doing in Poland?

Question 2: How did the man lead the criminal group, according to the summary?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
prokurator  (m.)	prosecutor
szpiegostwo  (n.)	espionage
sabotaż  (m.)	sabotage
służba  (f.)	service (e.g. state service, agency)
propaganda  (f.)	propaganda
wykolejenie  (n.)	derailment

Read the full story

Polish prosecutors have issued a wanted notice for a Russian citizen, Michaił Mirgorodski, who is suspected of organising a network that carried out spying and sabotage operations in Poland on behalf of the Russian security services.

According to the National Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw, the 28‑year‑old man is believed to have coordinated the activities of a criminal group from within Russia in 2023. Investigators say the group was working for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and was active on Polish territory, even though Mirgorodski himself has reportedly never entered Poland or any Schengen country.

Prosecutors state that communication took place almost entirely online, mainly through the Telegram messaging app. There, the alleged organiser – using several nicknames, with “Andrzej” described as the main one – is said to have recruited members, assigned tasks, and arranged payments. The financial transfers were reportedly conducted in cryptocurrencies, and investigators say they used data from crypto exchanges and the public blockchain to trace parts of the money flow.

The Polish side has brought five charges against Mirgorodski. They include establishing and directing an organised criminal group, running the activities of a foreign intelligence service, and attempting to cause a disaster in land transport. Further accusations concern inciting violence and property damage and financing offences of a terrorist nature. These charges relate to alleged plans and actions of the group, rather than to physical activity by Mirgorodski in Poland.

Investigators say the group’s tasks ranged from relatively small propaganda actions to more dangerous operations. Members were reportedly paid a few US dollars in cryptocurrency to put up anti‑Ukrainian posters or spread anti‑NATO messages, while several hundred dollars were allegedly offered for installing cameras that could secretly record and transmit images. According to prosecutors, in some cases ordinary monitoring apps designed for parents were used to stream video from these devices.

Prosecutors further allege that Mirgorodski encouraged attacks on people. The group is accused of being instructed to use violence and threats against Ukrainian citizens and Belarusian dissidents living in Poland, including alleged orders for beatings and the destruction of property. These acts are presented by the Polish side as part of a broader attempt to intimidate communities viewed as critical of the Russian authorities.

The most serious accusation concerns an alleged plan to derail a train in Poland. Prosecutors say Mirgorodski promised up to 10,000 US dollars in cryptocurrency to two main operatives for carrying out this sabotage. The alleged operation was never completed. Polish authorities claim it was prevented in June 2023 thanks to a joint action by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the prosecution service. Officials have publicly linked this planned derailment to wider concerns about recent acts of sabotage against Polish railway infrastructure, but they have also underlined that investigations are ongoing.

As part of the 2023 operation, the ABW detained around sixteen people in Poland, most of them described as Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens. In several completed cases, courts have already issued final convictions. According to the prosecutors, many of those arrested admitted their involvement and explained how they had allegedly been recruited through Telegram. Mobile phones seized from the suspects are said to have provided chat records and, in some instances, voice recordings that investigators link to a single remote coordinator.

The broader investigation now targets eight suspects in total: three Belarusians, two Russians (including Mirgorodski), and one citizen each of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. Several of these people are not currently in Poland, which, prosecutors say, has made it impossible so far to formally present charges to them. In parallel cases, Polish authorities have also asked a court in Warsaw to issue a European Arrest Warrant for two Ukrainian citizens suspected of separate sabotage actions against railway infrastructure in November.

Because Mirgorodski is believed to be abroad, a domestic wanted notice has been issued and a court has ordered his pre‑trial detention. Polish prosecutors say they are now working to obtain an Interpol Red Notice, which would call on member states to locate and, where possible, arrest him with a view to extradition. At the time of the announcements, there was no public information from Russian authorities about the Polish accusations, and independent confirmation of Mirgorodski’s whereabouts had not been reported.

The case comes against a background of heightened tension between Poland and Russia since the full‑scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Polish services have repeatedly warned of increased espionage and disinformation activity on Polish territory. For international observers and language learners following Polish news, the Mirgorodski investigation illustrates how modern alleged intelligence operations can combine online recruitment, encrypted messaging, and cryptocurrency payments with traditional goals such as sabotage, intimidation and propaganda.

Info: ‘Polish Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Polish’, a language school dedicated to teaching Polish through various types of online courses and resources that help you understand how to learn Polish effectively.