Poland charges Volodymyr B. over alleged railway sabotage
Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against Volodymyr B. alleging participation in Russian intelligence activity and logistical support for sabotage against railway infrastructure in 2025. The case concerns suspected preparations for attacks on railway line No. 7 in the localities of Mika and Golomb; B. faces life imprisonment if convicted.
Key points
- The indictment against Volodymyr B. was filed with the District Court in Warsaw.
- Prosecutors allege that B. participated in Russian intelligence activity against Poland and supported preparations for attacks on railway infrastructure.
- The investigation concerns railway line No. 7 in Mika, Garwolin County, and Golomb, Puławy County.
- B. allegedly transported Yevhen I. to the area in September 2025 to conduct reconnaissance and identify locations for explosive and recording devices.
- On 15 November 2025, Oleksandr K. and Yevhen I. allegedly placed and detonated explosive material on the tracks in Mika beneath a passing freight train.
- Two specially prepared metal elements were allegedly installed on tracks in Golomb between 1 October and 16 November 2025; investigators say they could have caused trains to derail.
- Volodymyr B. faces life imprisonment; Poland also issued a European arrest warrant for one of the other suspects.
- Oleksandr K. and Yevhen I. left Poland for Belarus on 16 November 2025.
Why it matters
The case concerns alleged assistance to sabotage targeting railway infrastructure in Poland. Prosecutors say the actions created a direct risk of a rail disaster that could have injured many people and damaged valuable property. The potential life sentence and arrest measures against two other suspects underscore the seriousness of the allegations, while the case highlights activity that Polish prosecutors say was attributed to Russian intelligence.
What happened
Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against Volodymyr B. with the District Court in Warsaw. Prosecutors allege that he participated in Russian intelligence activity against Poland and provided logistical support for preparing and carrying out attacks on railway infrastructure.
The investigation focuses on railway line No. 7 in the Polish localities of Mika in Garwolin County and Golomb in Puławy County. According to prosecutors, B. transported Yevhen I. to the area in September 2025, enabling reconnaissance of the terrain and the selection of locations for explosive devices, a video-recording device and a metal element on the tracks.
Investigators allege that Oleksandr K. and Yevhen I. placed explosive material on the tracks in Mika and detonated it beneath a passing freight train on 15 November 2025. Between 1 October and 16 November 2025, they are also alleged to have installed two specially prepared metal elements on tracks in Golomb. The investigators believe these elements could have caused trains to derail.
The prosecutor said the actions posed a direct threat of a ground-transport catastrophe and could have endangered the lives and health of many people as well as valuable property. According to the prosecution, the purpose was to seriously intimidate society and influence public opinion. K. and I. left Poland for Belarus on 16 November 2025. Poland subsequently placed them under wanted measures and issued a European arrest warrant for one of them. B. faces life imprisonment if convicted.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language reporting identifies all three defendants as Ukrainian citizens. The coverage focuses on the conduct attributed to B., his potential life-imprisonment sentence, and the departure of K. and I. for Belarus, while placing the allegations within the broader context of alleged Russian intelligence activity against Poland.
Background
The investigation concerns railway line No. 7 in Mika and Golomb. Investigators allege that B. helped K. and I. prepare the area for sabotage in September 2025, after which explosive and recording devices and two specially prepared metal elements were placed on the tracks. Poland had previously requested Interpol red notices for the arrest of Ukrainian citizens connected with the case.