Man detained in Poland over suspected plot against Prime Minister Tusk

Polish authorities have detained a man during an investigation into a possible attempted attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, according to Politico, as relayed by BNN. The case matters because it concerns top government officials in a country that is already among those hit hardest by Russian hybrid attacks.

What officials have said

Karolina Galecka, a spokesperson for Poland's Interior Ministry, wrote on the social network X that Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister coordinating the special services, had ordered appropriate steps after a possible attempted attack on the prime minister, his deputy and the defence minister. Tusk later confirmed on social media that a man had been detained in connection with the planning of an attack.

Emergency meeting

On 11 October, representatives of the Polish police, the government protection service and the Internal Security Agency met in an emergency session at the counterterrorism centre to discuss the situation. Afterwards, Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesman for Siemoniak, told journalists that the authorities were treating the case very seriously. He said the police receive more threats and alarming reports year after year, month after month and day after day, and that in this case there was a serious possibility the threats could be carried out.

What remains unknown

No further details about the planned attack have been released, and the organisers have not been named. Poland is one of the countries most severely affected by Russian hybrid attacks, including those organised by Moscow. In recent weeks, several violent attacks have also taken place in Polish schools.