The attacks occurred last year on May 23 in Warsaw and May 30 in Radom, central Poland.
In both cases, construction supply warehouses were targeted, but the fires were quickly brought under control thanks to a prompt response by firefighters.
“The Colombian national has been charged with committing a terrorist offence and faces between 10 years and life in prison,” Jacek Dobrzyński, a spokesman for Poland's security services, said in a statement.
Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) said the attacks were ordered, coordinated and financed by an individual connected to Russian intelligence.
In a separate case, the same man was sentenced by a Czech court in June 2025 to eight years in prison for setting fire to a bus depot in Prague.
He had also planned an arson attack on a shopping centre. He pleaded guilty, and the Czech prime minister later confirmed Russian intelligence was behind the operation.
Russian tactics revealed
The ABW outlined the methods used by Russian operatives, revealing that the suspect received precise instructions from his handler - including the target, how to make a Molotov cocktail, and the means of transport to use.
Officials said the operation reflects similar attacks reported across Central and Eastern Europe.
Russian intelligence services were found to have systematically recruited Latin American nationals with military experience via the Telegram messaging app.
The recruits were tasked with conducting surveillance, carrying out arson attacks, and documenting the damage. These materials were later used by Russian-language media as part of disinformation campaigns.
Cross-border investigation underway
The ABW also confirmed that, with support from Eurojust, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been formed, involving judicial and law enforcement authorities from Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Lithuania. The investigation in Poland remains ongoing.
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Source: IAR/ABW/PAP/PR24/X/@JacekDobrzynski/@PR24_pl
Click on the audio player above for a report by Michał Owczarek.
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