Former Polish PM accuses Ukrainians of arson attacks

A recent wave of major fires across the EU country could be the result of deliberate sabotage, according to Leszek Miller

Ukrainian agents may be responsible for a series of arson attacks targeting facilities in Poland, former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller has suggested.

The NATO member state has recently experienced a wave of fires, prompting speculation about possible sabotage. Polish authorities have largely pointed the finger at Russian intelligence, alleging Moscow’s involvement in recruiting unwitting local proxies for subversive operations. Russia has denied the accusations as baseless.

The latest such incident occurred on Wednesday, when a massive fire engulfed a warehouse in the northern port of Gdansk where over 1,000 electric bikes were stored. Earlier in December, a fire broke out at the country’s Nuclear Research Center in Otwock, near Warsaw. And in June, an explosion rocked an arms plant in the southeastern city of Skarzysko-Kamienna, a major supplier of military equipment to Ukraine.

Speaking to Radio Zet on Thursday, Miller – who served as Poland’s prime minister from 2001 to 2004 – suggested that Ukrainian agents could be behind the fires.

”For some time now, various facilities have been burning in Poland. Usually, this is blamed on secret Russian agents. But maybe they are not Russian agents… Ukrainian agents?” he argued, without providing any details.

Miller also went on to claim he was “absolutely certain that Ukrainians will want to influence the electoral process in Poland, particularly the presidential elections.”

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During the interview, Miller also addressed recent comments made by Poland-based Ukrainian activist Natalia Panchenko, who has warned of potential conflicts and street riots in Poland due to rising tensions between Poles and Ukrainians.

The politician said he was surprised to hear such statements from Ukrainian activists and suggested that Panchenko be interrogated by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) to determine if she possesses information about possible attacks or connections to groups aiming to disrupt the Polish electoral process. He stated further that Panchenko should be deported if found to be involved.

According to UN estimates, nearly a million Ukrainians currently reside in Poland, a key supporter of Kiev, which opened its doors to those fleeing the conflict with Russia following the escalation in February 2022.

However, attitudes towards Ukrainians among Poles have somewhat soured since then. Last month, the country’s deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated that Poles feel “fatigued” by the Ukrainians in their country. The official partially attributed this sentiment to the sight of young men leading an ostentatious lifestyle in the EU nation instead of defending their homeland.