Event 707

{
  "attack_type": "Espionage",
  "category": "Espionage",
  "confidence": "High",
  "country": "Poland",
  "description": "Maksim S., a Russian ice hockey player who played briefly in the Polish league for Zagłębie Sosnowiec, was sentenced in Poland to two years and eleven months in prison for espionage on behalf of the Kremlin. He was recruited by Russia’s FSB via Telegram and tasked with activities ranging from posting political content for cryptocurrency to photographing strategic locations such as a train station in Przemyśl and a weapons factory in Silesia. Maksim S. was part of an international 16-person spy network aimed at sabotaging military and humanitarian transports to Ukraine. Following his arrest in June 2023, documents related to the Wagner Group were found on his laptop. He will remain imprisoned in Lublin until his planned deportation in May 2025.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-12-18T21:43:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "Maksim S. usłyszał w środę wyrok dwóch lat i jedenastu miesięcy więzienia za działalność szpiegowską.",
    "FSB miała zwerbować go za pośrednictwem platformy Telegram.",
    "Fotografowanie strategicznych miejsc (dworzec kolejowy w Przemyślu i fabryka broni na Śląsku).",
    "Podczas zatrzymania w czerwcu 2023 r. przez ABW w jego laptopie znaleziono dokumenty dot. prywatnej organizacji Grupa Wagnera.",
    "Maksim S. dołączył do międzynarodowej siatki szpiegowskiej liczącej 16 osób, mającej za zadanie sabotowanie transportów z pomocą wojskową i humanitarną dla Ukrainy.",
    "ABW podaje, że wynagrodzenie za działalność szpiegowską wypłacane jest w kryptowalutach, a komunikacja odbywa się za pomocą szyfrowanych aplikacji."
  ],
  "extra": {
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "evidence": [
          "Maksim S. usłyszał w środę wyrok dwóch lat i jedenastu miesięcy więzienia za działalność szpiegowską.",
          "FSB miała zwerbować go za pośrednictwem platformy Telegram.",
          "Fotografowanie strategicznych miejsc (dworzec kolejowy w Przemyślu i fabryka broni na Śląsku).",
          "Podczas zatrzymania w czerwcu 2023 r. przez ABW w jego laptopie znaleziono dokumenty dot. prywatnej organizacji Grupa Wagnera.",
          "Maksim S. dołączył do międzynarodowej siatki szpiegowskiej liczącej 16 osób, mającej za zadanie sabotowanie transportów z pomocą wojskową i humanitarną dla Ukrainy.",
          "ABW podaje, że wynagrodzenie za działalność szpiegowską wypłacane jest w kryptowalutach, a komunikacja odbywa się za pomocą szyfrowanych aplikacji."
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "summary_extended": "Maksim S., a 21-year-old Russian hockey defenseman who played briefly for Zagłębie Sosnowiec's youth squads and senior team in Poland, received a prison sentence of two years and eleven months for espionage activities. The Federal Security Service (FSB) recruited him through Telegram and initially assigned him to distribute pro-Russian political content on social media for cryptocurrency. Over time, his tasks escalated to more sophisticated intelligence gathering, including photographing strategic infrastructure such as the Przemyśl train station and a weapons factory in Silesia, where he even rented an apartment overlooking the facility. Arrested by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) in June 2023, Maksim S. was found to have documents related to the private military company Wagner Group on his laptop. He was part of a 16-person spy network focused on sabotaging military and humanitarian aid transport to Ukraine. The case highlights increased FSB efforts to recruit young individuals from former USSR states and use encrypted communication and cryptocurrency to fund espionage amid the Ukraine war. Maksim S. will remain imprisoned in Lublin until his scheduled deportation in May 2025.",
  "summary_short": "Russian hockey player Maksim S. sentenced in Poland for espionage on behalf of the Kremlin, linked to spying on strategic locations and sabotage against Ukraine aid.",
  "url": "https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2024-12-18/gral-w-polskiej-lidze-okazal-sie-szpiegiem-putina-hokeista-uslyszal-wyrok/"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "PL",
  "Attack Type": "Espionage",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "PL",
  "Date": "18-Dec-24",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2024-12-18/gral-w-polskiej-lidze-okazal-sie-szpiegiem-putina-hokeista-uslyszal-wyrok/",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "Sentenced. ??Russian hockey player convicted of espionage. ",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": " Sentenced. ??Russian hockey player convicted of espionage. ",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "??Russian hockey player convicted of espionage in ?? PL. ",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "https://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2024-12-18/gral-w-polskiej-lidze-okazal-sie-szpiegiem-putina-hokeista-uslyszal-wyrok/",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}