Polish court orders detention of Russian national who captured 250,000 infrastructure images

A Polish court ruled on October 30 to keep a 55-year-old Russian citizen in pre-trial detention for three months. The man was arrested in Świdnica on suspicion of spying for a foreign state.

Dolnośląsk police reported that they recovered 250,000 photographs from the suspect's storage devices. The images depict key railway lines and other transport facilities. Some of these sites are designated as critical infrastructure. The photos cover locations in Poland and abroad.

Karolina Gałecka, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, confirmed the seizure at a press briefing on October 30. She stated that additional images and data were found on other devices. Prosecutors will now review the files to identify who commissioned the work. Investigators are also working to determine if the material was already sent to a foreign state.

The suspect entered Poland on business. However, he could not provide a consistent account of his activities or employment status during police questioning. Gałecka described his explanations as inconsistent and illogical. She noted that he failed to give coherent answers to specific questions about why he was taking the photos.

Tomasz Siemoniak, the Polish minister overseeing security services, noted that the arrest is unusual. He explained that Russian intelligence agencies typically avoid using their own citizens for such operations. This practice is intended to reduce the risk of arrest and limit reputational damage.

The man was caught in the act while photographing passing trains and local railway infrastructure in Świdnica. This incident follows a similar case in Germany on October 22. There, the Federal Criminal Police Office detained a Ukrainian national named Vadym Y. He was suspected of gathering intelligence on NATO facilities for Russia.