Polish police arrest man suspected of planning attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk
Amid heightened fears over a possible Russian hybrid attack, Polish PM thanks police for 'fast and decisive action' to counter threat
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A man suspected of threatening and planning to attack Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was arrested, the country’s interior minister said Sunday.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński gave no details about the identity of the man nor the type of attack planned.
Poland has been on high alert following a series of school stabbings this week, as well as fears of a possible Russian hybrid attack to weaken Western support for Ukraine in its war against Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
“The man who threatened an attack was detained,” Tusk wrote on X. “Thanks to the police for fast and decisive action.”
Poland’s police had said earlier on Sunday they received information about a possible plot to attack Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“We take this matter extremely seriously,” said Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the minister overseeing Poland’s intelligence services. He said authorities considered there was a “high probability” the threats would be carried out.
Dobrzyński was speaking after an emergency meeting of security services, police and representatives of the Interior Ministry on Sunday. He said information about the threat first reached the state protection service, which then passed it to the police.
He gave no other information about the reported plot, but said the intelligence services were receiving an increasing number of various threats with every month.
Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka told Polish media that Tusk learned about the threat first thing on Sunday morning. He said that, even if officials do occasionally get threats, this one was “exceptionally concerning.”
Three attacks at schools in Mazovia province in central Poland took place within four days this week, leaving one dead and many wounded, including children.
In September, Tusk warned about likely intensified hybrid attacks by Russia on NATO’s eastern flank. He said Russia was planning strikes with drones or rockets on European countries supporting Ukraine, among them Poland, with the goal of weakening Western support for Kyiv’s fight against the Russian invasion. Moscow has denied any such plans.