The Polish security services detain a Russian hockey player. He is suspected of espionage

The republic's attorney general, Zbigniew Zebro, announced this on Twitter.

Russian spies go down one by one! Another success for investigators. A spy acting under the guise of an athlete has been captured. The Russian was a player for a League 1 club. This is the 14th apprehended member of the spy network we've uncovered. Thanks to prosecutors and ABW officers for their dedication to the defence of the Motherland," the report said.

The name of the accused has not been disclosed. It is only known that he has been on the republic's territory since 2021. According to the Polish side, his tasks included "identifying critical infrastructure" in several areas.

On June 11, an athlete was taken into custody under suspicions of espionage in the Silesian province in the southern Poland region.

According to their press department, prosecutors from the National Prosecutor's Office have charged the individual with involvement in an organized crime network and collaboration with foreign intelligence against Poland's interests. Such actions, if proven, can lead to a prison sentence of up to a decade.

As reported by PAP, this criminal organization was allegedly functioning as an arm of Russian intelligence to carry out spy operations, including railway path surveillance. In addition, they received financial compensation for these tasks. They were also implicated in spreading anti-NATO and anti-Polish propaganda.

Investigators further suggested that the group was being directed to orchestrate acts of sabotage at the behest of Russian intelligence.