The Polish National Prosecutor’s Office has formally accused Mykhailo Viktorovich Mirgorodski, a Russian citizen, of orchestrating Russian intelligence operations in Poland and leading a covert espionage and sabotage group.
Charges Against Russian Operative
Polish prosecutors allege that Mirgorodski, born 15 November 1997, acted on behalf of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) from Russian territory. The indictment accuses him of arranging Russian intelligence activity in Poland, supervising a clandestine group, and financing potential terrorist preparations.
Collaboration with Russian Intelligence
Investigators discovered that from at least 1 October 2022 until at least June 2023, Mirgorodski established and directed an organized criminal group, reportedly with at least 30 members, to carry out spying, sabotage, and propaganda for the Russian state.
Telegram Communications
The prosecution states that Mirgorodski used the messaging app Telegram to coordinate with his operatives. Documents obtained by prosecutors and Internal Security Agency officers allowed the identification of the group’s leadership and activities.
Scope of Activities in Poland
The group performed three main tasks: (1) intelligence gathering, including monitoring military vehicles, installing GPS transmitters and surveillance devices at critical infrastructure; (2) propaganda and disinformation campaigns, printing and distributing pro‑Russian, anti‑Ukrainian leaflets aimed at undermining NATO; (3) sabotage, reportedly ordering assaults on Ukrainian and Belarusian dissidents, including arson of property with Molotov cocktails.
Prior Arrests and Sentences
In June and July 2023, the Internal Security Agency, acting on the prosecutor’s orders, detained 16 individuals—12 Ukrainians, 3 Belarusians, and 1 Russian—charged with participation in a criminal organization supportive of Russian intelligence. They pleaded guilty and received up to six years’ imprisonment in a Lublin district court ruling in November 2023.
Ongoing Investigation
Currently, eight suspects are under investigation, including Mirgorodski and others from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. The National Prosecutor’s Office has issued warrants, used a Red Notice with Interpol, and is pursuing temporary arrest. Charges remain pending for most suspects due to their absence from Poland.
