Poland Nabs Russian Hitman in US-Ukrainian Assassination Plot as Anti-Ukraine Attacks Spike

Polish security services arrested a Russian national earlier this month in Warsaw, foiling an alleged plot to assassinate a US-Ukrainian citizen [1]. The operation was carried out with assistance from US intelligence agencies, according to Polish authorities [1]. The suspect was detained without incident, and officials have not released the name of the suspect or the intended target, but confirmed that the alleged assassination plan was disrupted before it could be executed [1]. Polish prosecutors are now investigating the case, which is being treated as a serious international security matter, and the US government has been informed of the arrest and is cooperating with the ongoing probe [1].

The arrest comes as Warsaw has ordered closer monitoring of violence against Ukrainians in Poland, warning that Moscow is deliberately working to drive a wedge between the two nations [2]. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the new measures on Tuesday, following a series of incidents that have raised alarm over rising hostility toward Ukrainian refugees and workers in the country [2]. “We are seeing a dangerous trend,” Tusk said, according to the draft statement, adding that Polish authorities must respond more forcefully to acts of aggression and vandalism targeting Ukrainians [2].

The Polish government’s warning goes further, accusing Russia of actively seeking to deepen divisions between Poles and Ukrainians as part of a broader Kremlin strategy to destabilize the region by exploiting wartime tensions [2]. Poland has hosted more than a million Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and has been one of Kyiv’s strongest allies, but recent months have seen isolated attacks and protests, often linked to disputes over grain imports and border blockades [2]. The new monitoring push will involve increased police patrols and faster reporting of hate crimes, according to the announcement [2].

Demonstrators took to the streets in 22 Polish cities over the weekend, responding to the surge in attacks against Ukrainian nationals [3]. The protests followed a Friday petition drive that gathered more than 11,000 signatures demanding government action [3]. Organizers called for increased protection for Ukrainian residents and a stronger official response to the incidents, and no major clashes were reported during the rallies [3]. The development comes as both countries remain on high alert for Russian disinformation campaigns, which have previously sought to exaggerate friction between the two Slavic neighbors [2].