Colombian National Linked to Russian Intelligence Charged with Arson Attacks in Poland
A 27-year-old Colombian man, acting on behalf of Russian intelligence, has been charged with carrying out arson attacks in Poland in 2024. He was previously sentenced to eight years in prison by a Czech court for similar acts of sabotage. Polish authorities have classified the attacks as acts of terrorism.
Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) identified a Colombian national as the perpetrator of two arson attacks that occurred in May 2024—one in Warsaw on the 23rd and another in Radom on the 30th. According to Polish officials, the man acted under the direction of Russian intelligence.
The suspect allegedly received detailed instructions on how to carry out the attacks, including how to construct Molotov cocktails and what form of transportation to use. The operations were overseen and financed by an individual connected to Russian special services.
In June 2025, the same man was sentenced by a Czech court to eight years in prison for setting fire to a bus depot in Prague and planning an arson attack at a shopping mall. He pleaded guilty. According to the Czech Prime Minister, Russian intelligence was involved in those actions as well.
Read more
Polish prosecutors officially charged the man with terrorist offenses related to the Polish arsons on July 21, 2025, while he was in Prague. He has partially confessed, and his statements are currently being verified. If convicted, he faces between 10 years to life in prison.
The investigation is being conducted by the ABW’s Radom branch under the supervision of the National Prosecutor’s Office. A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established with Eurojust, including authorities from Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Lithuania, to address coordinated Russian-backed sabotage across Central and Eastern Europe.
