Polish security services have accused an 18-year-old of carrying out sabotage actions in Poland, allegedly on behalf of Russia, with the aim of inciting ethnic tensions between Poland and Ukraine. The suspect, identified as Illia K., faces life imprisonment if convicted.
Prosecutors allege that the teenager was tasked by an unidentified individual via a messaging service, with instructions to carry out specific acts and send photographic evidence of their completion. Payments for these alleged actions were reportedly made using cryptocurrencies registered in Russia and China, and the suspect is also accused of recruiting others to participate.
Authorities report that Illia K. vandalized several monuments, including the Monument to the Jewish Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto in the Polish capital and monuments to Polish victims of the Volyhnia massacre in Domostawa and Wrocław. The vandalism involved placing inscriptions and symbols that glorified the UPA, a Ukrainian nationalist organization responsible for mass killings of Poles during World War II.
The Volyhnia massacre, in which up to 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed in what was then Poland and is now western Ukraine, has historically strained relations between the two neighboring countries. The issue resurfaced in May when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree naming a Ukrainian military unit after the "Heroes of the UPA," a move that drew strong reactions in Poland.
In response to Zelensky's decree, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked an honor previously bestowed upon the Ukrainian leader, an action that has been rarely taken in Poland's history. The differing historical interpretations of the UPA continue to shape perceptions, with Ukrainians often viewing them as heroes who fought Soviet occupation, while Poles remember them as a criminal structure responsible for mass murder.
The teenager is also charged with preparing to fly a drone over President Nawrocki's vehicle during the Polish Armed Forces' Day parade on August 15 of the previous year. He was arrested three days prior to this event.