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Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland has appealed to his compatriots not to be “drawn into the trap” of carrying out sabotage on behalf of Russia in return for “promises of easy money”.
Vasyl Bodnar’s remarks came in the wake of Polish prosecutors announcing on Friday that they have indicted five people – four Ukrainian citizens and one Russian – with working on behalf of Russian intelligence to send explosive packages around Europe via courier services.
Recent years have also seen many other Ukrainians recruited by Russia – often through online messaging service Telegram – to carry out acts of sabotage, espionage, propaganda and disinformation in Poland. They are then paid using cryptocurrencies.
“I appeal to all Ukrainians: do not fall for promises of easy money,” wrote Bodnar in a social media post on Friday.
“The Russian security services are attempting to recruit and involve [people] in sabotage actions via the internet and messengers, in particular Telegram,” he continued. “Do not let yourself be drawn into the trap.”
“Every decision you make matters. Every action you take matters. Act with awareness. Let the world see our strength, resilience, and dignity. That is what helps us protect our future.”
In his post, Bodnar also noted that the Ukrainian authorities had helped in identifying and detaining the people who were indicted in Poland on Friday. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment.
The group is accused of sending four parcels containing incendiary devices along with flammable and explosive substances hidden within everyday items, such as massage pillows and cosmetics.
The items were sent through courier companies DHL and DPD to addresses in Warsaw, Poland, as well as London and Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
In July 2024, three of the packages combusted: one at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham Airport, one in a DHL container at Leipzig Airport (where it was on its way to London), and one in a lorry while it was being transported on a Polish road.
Poland has charged five people – four Ukrainians and one Russian – with carrying out sabotage on behalf of Russia by putting explosives in packages then sending them by courier across Europe.
Two of the items exploded at airports in the UK and Germany https://t.co/Fh3qZW8fQp
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 16, 2026
Last October, the minister in charge of Poland’s security services, Tomasz Siemoniak, similarly appealed to Ukrainians – who are by far Poland’s largest immigrant group, numbering around 1.5 million – not to give in to the temptation of earning money by carrying out espionage or sabotage on behalf of Russia.
In November, Polish prosecutors filed charges against a Russian man whom they accuse of orchestrating a sabotage network in Poland, made up mostly of Ukrainians, by using Telegram to order surveillance of military sites, sabotage, and the dissemination of pro-Russian propaganda.
In December, Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) launched a chatbot on Telegram that allows users of the platform to report acts of sabotage as well as attempts to recruit them by foreign intelligence agencies.
The head of Poland's security services has appealed to Ukrainians, the country's largest immigrant group, not to be tempted to earn money by acting as Russian agents.
Russia regularly recruits Ukrainians in Poland to carry out espionage and sabotage https://t.co/aa5UUWWBrx
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) October 28, 2025
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Mateusz Włodarczyk/MRPiPS (under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
