A Polish court has sentenced a Ukrainian national to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of planning sabotage and arson activities in favor of Russia. The verdict was delivered on Friday in Wroclaw, where the 51-year-old man, referred to only as Serhyi S., was found to be part of a criminal organization that aimed to ignite fires at various locations in the city.

The man was apprehended by Polish state security agents in January 2024 and had remained in custody since his arrest. Officials from Poland’s Internal Security Agency claimed that he was acting on behalf of Russian interests. Reports indicate that he was allegedly in the process of preparing to set fire to a U.S.-owned paint factory, among other potential targets.

Although Serhyi S. refuted the charges against him, he did concede that he had taken online assignments from an unnamed individual to carry out acts of arson for financial compensation. Furthermore, he is not the only one in this case; four other individuals have also been charged, and over a dozen others with citizenship from Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus have been detained in relation to various acts of sabotage or espionage.

The Polish government has voiced concerns that the country is under threat from Russia, which it alleges is engaging in a hybrid warfare strategy against Western nations, particularly those that provide support to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russian forces.