WARSAW (Reuters) – A Polish court sentenced a Ukrainian and a Belarusian citizen to jail for spying for Russia, state news agency PAP reported on Thursday.
The two men were among 16 citizens of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia arrested by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) as part of an investigation into a spy ring whose tasks included collecting information on the transportation of military equipment to Ukraine.
Warsaw says its role in supporting Kyiv has made it a key target for Russian espionage and sabotage.
The District Court in Lublin sentenced the 23-year-old Ukrainian citizen, referred to as Maksym L. due to privacy laws, to six years in prison and a 15,000 zloty ($3,912) fine for taking part in an organised group which aimed to commit crimes against Poland, espionage and possession of cannabis.
It sentenced 30-year-old Belarusian Uladzislau P. to two years and 10 months in prison and a 10,000 zloty fine for participating in the group and espionage.
They must also pay 5,000 zlotys each to a fund that helps the victims of crime.
PAP reported that Judge Miroslaw Brzozowski said their participation in the group was beyond doubt.
“It was an organised criminal group… whose goal was to collect espionage information that was used to determine what type and amount of aid was being transferred to Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying.
He said they had committed the crimes in order to get financial benefits.
The other members of the spy ring were separately sentenced to between 13 months and six years in prison, according to PAP.
Maksym L. and Uladzislau P. can appeal against the verdict.
($1 = 3.8344 zlotys)
(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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