The charges

Prosecutors from the National Prosecutor's Office in Wrocław filed an indictment on 14 July 2026 against Illia K., an 18-year-old Ukrainian citizen, charging him with 47 criminal counts. The charges include 45 acts of sabotage for painting "Slava UPA" slogans and red-black flags of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army on buildings and monuments, one count of participating in an organized criminal group aimed at diversion and sabotage against Poland, and one count of preparing a diversion using a drone. He faces a sentence ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. The accused has been in custody since his arrest by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) on 12 August 2025. Evidence gathered includes seized phones, computers, internet chat logs, surveillance footage, location data, and financial records.

Defacement (45 counts)45

Organized crime (1 count)1

Drone preparation (1 count)1

Defacement (45 counts)

45 counts

Organized crime (1 count)

1 counts

Drone preparation (1 count)

1 counts

Data from the article text

Monuments defaced

According to the indictment, Illia K. targeted multiple memorial sites between November 2024 and August 2025. The defaced locations include the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Monument, the Volhynia Massacre monument in Domostawa, and a monument in Wrocław commemorating Polish civilians murdered by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the UPA. He also painted symbols on the buildings of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. The slogans, written in Ukrainian, glorified the UPA and Stepan Bandera. Investigators say the aim was to incite ethnic hatred and deepen Polish-Ukrainian antagonisms.

“The actions of the accused and his principals, carried out on behalf of a foreign intelligence service, were aimed at inciting ethnic hatred, deepening antagonisms between Poles and Ukrainians, causing social unrest and creating a sense of helplessness of state authorities.”

Drone plot

The most serious charge involves preparations for a diversion during the Armed Forces Day parade scheduled for 15 August 2025 in Warsaw. Illia K. planned to fly a drone over the vehicle carrying President Karol Nawrocki. He researched drone models, costs, and financing, and gathered information about the parade route along the Wisłostrada. He also discussed methods to confirm the task's completion and reduce detection risk. The plan was thwarted when ABW officers arrested him on 12 August, three days before the event.

Russian recruitment and payment

The ABW determined that the operation was directed by Russian special services. Recruiters contacted the accused via internet messengers, and he received payment in cryptocurrency through exchanges registered in Russia and China. Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the Minister Coordinator of Special Services, stated that Illia K. acted on behalf of Russian intelligence. The accused initially confessed and gave explanations, but later retracted his statements and refused to testify. Investigators say his motive was financial, not ideological.

“The accused Ukrainian citizen is 18 years old and acted on behalf of Russian intelligence.”

Broader pattern

The case is the latest in a series of Russian influence operations targeting Polish-Ukrainian relations. In late June 2026, ABW detained 11 people (nine Ukrainians and two Belarusians) suspected of organizing Russian-funded demonstrations among Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Those protests were designed to appear as grassroots initiatives while spreading narratives favorable to the Kremlin. The ABW stated that the goal of these operations is to sow discord between Poles and Ukrainians and weaken support for Ukraine. The investigation into other members of the organized group involved in Illia K.'s case remains ongoing.