Russian citizen remanded in Poland on espionage charges after photographing trains and railway infrastructure

Police in Świdnica, Lower Silesia, detained a 55-year-old Russian citizen near a railway crossing; he tried to flee when officers approached. They found professional photographic equipment and files showing that he had photographed trains and critical railway and transport infrastructure, in Poland and elsewhere. He was charged with espionage, which carries at least five years in prison, and a court remanded him in custody for three months, Rzeczpospolita reported on 30 October 2026.

Established by. He was charged with espionage and a Polish court ordered three months' detention (Rzeczpospolita, via Meduza). No authority has publicly named the foreign service involved. Poland's special services coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak called the case "exceptional" and said Russia's subversive activity in Europe requires preliminary reconnaissance and documentation (Onet). The presumption of innocence applies.

Latest. Remanded in custody for three months on espionage charges; reported on 30 October 2026.

Link to the war against Ukraine. Poland's railways carry much of the military and humanitarian aid bound for Ukraine; in November 2025 a section of the Warsaw–Lublin line used for aid deliveries was blown up in an act of sabotage that Poland attributed to Russian services.