Poland detains Belarusian suspected of spying for Minsk

February 23, 2026 4:17 AM EST

WARSAW, Feb ‌23 (Reuters) - Poland ​has ​detained a Belarusian man on suspicion of conducting espionage ‌on behalf of Minsk's military intelligence, ⁠prosecutors said on Monday, as Warsaw ‌warns of Russian and ‌Belarusian attempts to destabilise countries backing Ukraine.

Already strained relations between Warsaw ​and Minsk have sunk to new lows since Belarus' ally, ⁠Russia, invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The man, ​identified only as Pavlov T. under Polish privacy laws, has been ​detained for three ‌months and faces at least five years in prison ⁠if convicted, prosecutors said in a statement.

He has been charged with gathering ⁠intelligence for Minsk in NATO allies Poland, ​Germany and Lithuania. His activities include reconnaissance of critical infrastructure, including facilities important for ‌the defence of Poland and NATO, the prosecutors said.

The ‌Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did ⁠not immediately respond ‌to an ​emailed request for comment.

(Reporting by Anna Koper; Editing by Gareth ‌Jones)



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