Former Polish PM accuses Ukrainians of arson attacks
Ukrainian agents may be responsible for a series of arson attacks targeting facilities in Poland, former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller has suggested.
The NATO member state has recently experienced a wave of fires, prompting speculation about possible sabotage. Polish authorities have largely pointed the finger at Russian intelligence, alleging Moscow's involvement in recruiting unwitting local proxies for subversive operations. Russia has denied the accusations as baseless.
The latest such incident occurred on Wednesday, when a massive fire engulfed a warehouse in the northern port of Gdansk where over 1,000 electric bikes were stored. Earlier in December, a fire broke out at the country's Nuclear Research Center in Otwock, near Warsaw. And in June, an explosion rocked an arms plant in the southeastern city of Skarzysko-Kamienna, a major supplier of military equipment to Ukraine.
Speaking to Radio Zet on Thursday, Miller – who served as Poland's prime minister from 2001 to 2004 – suggested that Ukrainian agents could be behind the fires.
'For some time now, various facilities have been burning in Poland. Usually, this is blamed on secret Russian agents. But maybe they are not Russian agents… Ukrainian agents?'
he argued, without providing any details.
Miller also went on to claim he was
'absolutely certain that Ukrainians will want to influence the electoral process in Poland, particularly the presidential elections.'
READ MORE:
Poles tired of Ukrainians – defense minister
During the interview, Miller also addressed recent comments made by Poland-based Ukrainian activist Natalia Panchenko, who has warned of potential conflicts and street riots in Poland due to rising tensions between Poles and Ukrainians.
The politician said he was surprised to hear such statements from Ukrainian activists and suggested that Panchenko be interrogated by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) to determine if she possesses information about possible attacks or connections to groups aiming to disrupt the Polish electoral process. He stated further that Panchenko should be deported if found to be involved.
According to UN estimates, nearly a million Ukrainians currently reside in Poland, a key supporter of Kiev, which opened its doors to those fleeing the conflict with Russia following the escalation in February 2022.
However, attitudes towards Ukrainians among Poles have somewhat soured since then. Last month, the country's deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated that Poles feel
'fatigued'
by the Ukrainians in their country. The official partially attributed this sentiment to the sight of young men leading an ostentatious lifestyle in the EU nation instead of defending their homeland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Ukrainian vet behind Dutch knife spree wanted life sentence
A Ukrainian national who faces multiple attempted murder charges after a stabbing spree in Amsterdam has been identified as a military deserter who reportedly dreamed of spending the rest of his life in a Western European prison, according to a Dutch media investigation. The suspect, who is accused of injuring five people near Dam Square in March, was identified as 30-year-old Roman D. The Dutch public prosecutor suggested earlier this month that the attack could have had a terrorist motive. Public broadcaster NOS revealed the Ukrainian national's background on Tuesday following an investigation by its current affairs program, Nieuwsuur. According to the report, Roman D. served in a Ukrainian artillery unit before the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. Acquaintances said he became increasingly withdrawn after suffering a concussion in 2023 and spoke of wanting to be jailed for life in a Western European country. 'He often said that he wanted to kill someone in Norway so that he could go to a prison there and be cared for for the rest of his life,' a former commander told NOS. The remarks were reportedly dismissed as jokes at the time. When I first heard what Roman had done in Amsterdam, I thought: 'an idiot's dream has come true.' Roman reportedly left Ukraine using a travel waiver issued for a visit to his mother in the Czech Republic. She told NOS, however, that he never arrived – instead, he apparently traveled directly to the Netherlands. He remained in contact with former fellow soldiers, who described him as being interested in a wide range of ideologies. '[He] wrote about Allah and something about supporting Palestine. Surprisingly enough, he was also very active in supporting the LGBT community,' one source told the broadcaster. NOS also found that Roman's online presence suggested an association with neo-Nazism, though friends claimed his interest wasn't in earnest. Officials in Eastern European countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, have expressed concerns over the potential influx of demobilized Ukrainian soldiers once Kiev lifts martial law and allows fighting-age men to leave the country. Veterans 'can face a number of different problems: Adaptation issues, psychosis, depression, addictions,' Polish military psychiatrist Radoslaw Tworus warned in February. 'The spectrum of these disorders is very wide.'
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine membership out of NATO summit statement
The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO will not be mentioned in the declaration at the bloc's summit later this month, Bloomberg has reported. Kiev has long sought to become a member of the US-led organization, an aim that Russia views as a threat to its national security. The one-page draft statement, which was seen by the outlet, focuses solely on NATO's spending goals, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The document could still be subject to change. The summit in The Hague will reportedly include only a dinner with the king of the Netherlands and a single working session. The 'brevity' of both the declaration and the gathering is reportedly designed to minimize potential public disagreements between US President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders. 'Notably absent from the statement is the prospect of Ukraine joining the military alliance,' Bloomberg wrote. Last year's military assistance pledge worth $45 billion will not be renewed either, the report added. In July 2024, then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged the bloc's members to make a multi-year commitment to keep providing military aid for Kiev. Annual spending across the bloc should have amounted to €40 billion ($45 billion) each year under that scheme. This year, NATO members are only expected to commit to allocating at least 3.5% of their GDP to defense by 2032 and to spend an additional 1.5% on protecting infrastructure and ensuring civil preparedness. The bloc is considering allowing its members to count military assistance to Kiev toward the spending goals, according to Bloomberg. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wants the summit to become a 'win' for Trump, who has repeatedly called on the bloc's members to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources. Earlier this month, AFP reported that NATO leaders would avoid discussing Ukraine's membership at the upcoming summit in a bid to alleviate tensions between the US and EU. The US president, who is seeking to facilitate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, has ruled out the possibility of Kiev joining NATO. Russia views the military bloc's eastward expansion as a threat, and has cited it as one of the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. Russian officials have on numerous occasions stated that admitting Ukraine into the bloc would be crossing a red line and has insisted that the country remain neutral.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Russia Today
German intelligence chief claims Russia could attack NATO
Russia could attack NATO countries after the Ukraine conflict is over, Bruno Kahl, the head of the German foreign intelligence agency (BND), has claimed while defending the drive to boost defense spending. 'We are confident, and have the intelligence data that Ukraine is merely one step on [Russia's] path toward the West,' Kahl stated when asked why the Germans should agree to take on 'additional debt' to fund the rearmament program and potentially reintroduce conscription abolished in 2011. 'There are people in Moscow who no longer believe that NATO's Article 5 would be upheld — and they would like to put it to the test,' the spy chief said. He argued that Russia is skeptical about the US resolve to defend its allies and send American troops 'across the Atlantic to die for Tallinn, Riga, or Vilnius.' Russia could 'send little green men to Estonia' under the guise of protecting the Baltic state's Russian-speaking minority, Kahl claimed. Western media used the term 'little green men' to describe commandos sent to protect the residents of Crimea ahead of the 2014 referendum, in which the largely ethnic Russian region rejected the US-backed coup in Kiev and voted to secede from Ukraine and become a part of Russia. Kahl suggested that Russia's ultimate goal is to 'catapult NATO back to where it was in the late 1990s,' and push the US out of Europe. Moscow views the US-led alliance's expansion eastward as a threat, and has cited it as one of the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. President Vladimir Putin, however, said that Russia has no intention of attacking NATO states unless it is attacked first. Moscow also warned that Western military aid to Kiev de facto makes NATO 'a direct participant' in the conflict. Germany has ramped up its hostile rhetoric against Russia under new chancellor Friedrich Merz who said last month Ukraine could receive long-range Taurus cruise missiles. He also pledged to assist Ukraine in the production of its own long-range weapons. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has responded by accusing Germany of undermining the peace process.
