Poland Thwarts Russian Plot to Kill Ukrainian-American Citizen
Polish security services have arrested a Russian national recruited by Moscow to assassinate a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced August 13. The incident marks an unprecedented case of Russia attempting to carry out a targeted killing of a U.S. citizen on NATO territory.
On August 13, 2026, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the country's Internal Security Agency (ABW) and police had prevented a Russian assassination plot against a Ukrainian-American citizen. The ABW and police detained a Russian national who had been recruited by Moscow to carry out the killing last week. The Russian suspect was detained on August 7 and had been recruited to kill a man deemed "inconvenient to the Putin regime".
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said this was the first time that someone acting "on the order of Russia" sought to attack a U.S. citizen on the territory of another NATO country. Agents of the Polish Internal Security Agency and police arrested the suspect with cooperation from American services.
Context for NATO and Poland
Poland, a NATO and EU member state along the alliance's Eastern flank, has accused Russia of "sabotage" on several occasions since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Tusk said Poland "will likely come under similar pressure again" and that the Putin regime will continue trying to eliminate people it views as inconvenient.
Why this matters for expats and residents: If you are a Ukrainian national, U.S. citizen, or any foreigner working on Ukraine-related issues or critical of Russia, this is a stark reminder of Poland's security environment. Polish authorities have robust counterintelligence capacity and are actively working with allies to prevent attacks. If you have security concerns or notice suspicious activity, report it immediately to Polish police (Tel. 112) or the ABW's counterintelligence hotline.
Sources
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