Poland accuses Russia of attack plot involving explosives smuggled in corn tins

Prosecutors in Poland are investigating an alleged Russia plot that involved smuggling food cans labelled as corn packed with explosives into the country, according to Polish media. 

An article published in Gazeta Wyborcza on Thursday cited sources at the Polish National Prosecutor’s Office and the Internal Security Agency (ABW) confirming the development. 

A Ukrainian suspect linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU), who has only been identified as Władysław D, allegedly transported the cans to Poland after digging them up at a cemetery in neighbouring Lithuania. 

The young man left them near the city of Łódź in central Poland, according to Gazeta Wyborcza. 

A military expert told the Polish paper that the quantities of explosives believed to have been involved could have caused severe damage to a car and life-threatening injuries to people nearby. 

Poland's special services co-ordinator Tomasz Siemoniak said the GRU had planned sabotage operations in Poland, as well as in Lithuania and Germany using explosives hidden in the cans.

According to investigators, GRU operatives were allegedly planning to attach the cans to drones as explosive payloads for attacks.  

Investigators haven't said what the motive for the planned attacks might be, but Poland's staunch support for Ukraine during the full-scale invasion could be a possible reason.

Total support to Kyiv from Warsaw since 2022 totals approximately €3.3 billion, in both military and humanitarian assistance.

And Poland is home to around 1 million refugees who fled the war, the majority of them women and children.

Hybrid attacks

The Polish National Prosecutor's Office told TVP World that the investigation is part of a wider probe into Russian hybrid warfare operations in Europe.

The discovery of the cans comes amid a recent spate of airspace violations in Europe, with Russia believed to be responsible.

Munich Airport in Germany was forced to suspend operations on Thursday night after "several drone sightings" were reported, leading to the cancellation of 17 flights.

In recent weeks, airports in Denmark, Norway and Poland similarly suspended flights due to unidentified drone activity.

Airspace violations were also reported in Estonia and Romania.

Those incursions have fuelled a debate among European leaders over the feasibility of a so-called drone wall to protect the eastern edge of the continent against drone incursions believed to be from Russia.

Moscow has dismissed claims that it was responsible for any of the airspace violations, calling them "unfounded accusations."