The man was detained during security operations for a football match, according to RMF24 and Rzeczpospolita. A patrol spotted a Volkswagen near a railway crossing after the game; the driver reversed and drove off on seeing officers. He was later found near another railway facility, where he appeared visibly nervous and tried to get back into his car quickly, The Insider reported.
The court ordered him held in custody for three months. He faces charges under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Polish Criminal Code, which covers espionage. According to Meduza, the charge carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. The man's name has not been released.
Officers seized professional photography equipment, mobile phones, laptops, external hard drives and several identity documents. Investigators said the electronic devices contained hundreds of thousands of files, including photographs of transport infrastructure not only in Poland but in other countries as well.
Tomasz Siemoniak, the coordinator of Poland's special services, called the detention an exceptional case. He said the collection of information on transport infrastructure could be part of preparations for Russian sabotage operations. Siemoniak noted that such actions are usually preceded by reconnaissance of targets, and that until now Russian intelligence services had avoided sending Russian citizens "to the front line," preferring to use local agents.
Polish authorities have repeatedly accused Russian intelligence services of organizing sabotage on Polish territory. In November 2025, an explosion struck the Warsaw–Lublin railway line, which carries freight toward Ukraine. The rails were damaged, and the overhead contact line was damaged on another section of the same line. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said two Ukrainian citizens were involved in the sabotage, allegedly acting on orders from Russian intelligence services.
In May 2024, a fire nearly destroyed the Marywilska 44 shopping center in Warsaw. A year later, Polish authorities accused Russian intelligence services of organizing the arson and announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Kraków. Polish investigators also linked Russian military intelligence to the dispatch of parcels containing incendiary devices that went off at logistics facilities in Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2024. In July 2025, Polish authorities reported the detention of 32 people suspected of preparing sabotage on orders from Russian intelligence services. Moscow denies involvement in these operations.