Polish man sentenced for spying and aiding plot against Zelenskyy

Investigation showed that the 50-year-old man, identified as Paweł K., earlier expressed his willingness to cooperate with Russian intelligence and carry out intelligence-gathering tasks for the aggressor state.

His assignments included transmitting information about security measures at Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport — data that could have been used to plan an assassination attempt on President Zelenskyy.

Paweł K. also declared willingness to join Russia’s Wagner private military company as well as a military unit affiliated with Russia’s Military Intelligence (GRU).

Taking these circumstances into account, the District Court in Zamość found the man guilty of espionage and sentenced him to a total of three years and six months in prison.

Assassination attempts on Zelenskyy

On June 23, 2024, then-head of Ukraine’s Security Service Vasyl Maliuk disclosed details of multiple assassination attempts on President Zelenskyy. According to him, one plot involved an attempt during the president’s movements within the Office of the President in Kyiv, while another was planned at a Polish airport.

On May 20, 2024, Polish prosecutors formally charged Paweł K. - a Polish citizen who assisted in organizing an assassination attempt on the Ukrainian president.

In April 2024, Ukraine’s Security Service reported that a Russian agent had been uncovered in Poland after offering to help Russian intelligence assassinate Zelenskyy in a visit to Warsaw.

Earlier The Independent reports stated that Zelenskyy survived more than 12 assassination attempts since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to The New York Times, at least one such attempt was thwarted with assistance from the Central Intelligence Agency.

In an interview with The Sun published in November 2023, Zelenskyy said he had survived at least five assassination attempts.