Poland breaks up suspected Russian spy ring

Poland's secret service has smashed a ring of suspected Russian spies, with Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak telling public broadcaster Polskie Radio on Thursday, "The whole spy network has been dismantled."

There had been a real threat to Poland, he said. "This was clearly a spy ring gathering information for the benefit of those who attacked Ukraine and committed war crimes there," Błaszczak continued.

According to unofficial information from the radio station Rmf.fm, the network was mainly concerned with spying on railway lines. The Polish secret services discovered hidden cameras on important routes and railway junctions that were recording the traffic on the tracks and transmitted the images to the internet, the report said.

EU and NATO member Poland has taken in around 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine. It is also the main hub for the delivery of Western military aid to Ukraine.