Polish defence contractor employee arrested on suspicion of espionage

Polish authorities have detained a man suspected of spying for a foreign intelligence service while working at the state-owned defence manufacturer Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on social media platform X on Wednesday.

The suspect, a Polish citizen, has been placed in three months of pre-trial detention. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of eight years in prison.

PGZ is Poland’s largest state-controlled arms producer and a key supplier to the Polish military. The company oversees dozens of subsidiaries manufacturing weapons and military equipment, including howitzers, wheeled armoured vehicles, pistols, submachine guns, and rifles.

Polish officials have repeatedly accused Russian and Belarusian intelligence services of sending spies into the country and recruiting saboteurs. Poland is one of Ukraine’s strongest political and military backers following Russia’s full-scale invasion.