Poland’s rail security services intervened on 16 February 2026 after a 25-year-old Moldovan national activated the handbrake in a tank wagon of a freight train operating on the strategic Szczecin–Dorohusk corridor. The incident took place at Puławy station in eastern Poland.
According to Polish authorities, officers operating under the nationwide “TOR” security operation detained the suspect between train sets shortly after the alarm was raised. During the arrest, officers reportedly found a bag containing multiple mobile phones, electronic equipment, SIM cards, a power bank and documents in Russian.
The case was immediately reported to the National Prosecutor’s Office, the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW), the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚP). Police officers, a Territorial Defence Force (WOT) soldier and a Railway Protection Guard (SOK) officer were also present at the scene.
The Szczecin–Dorohusk line forms part of a key east–west freight axis linking western Poland with the Ukrainian border. While no major infrastructure damage was reported in this case, the incident occurred in a context of heightened alert across Poland’s rail network.
Operation TOR was launched on 21 November 2025 by Poland’s Chief of Police to counter sabotage and diversionary acts targeting railway infrastructure. Under the operation, police cooperate closely with SOK and the Polish Armed Forces in surveillance and preventive activities.
In parallel, the Ministry of National Defence initiated operation “Horyzont”, deploying up to 10,000 soldiers to monitor critical rail lines and transport hubs nationwide. The measures were introduced following a confirmed act of sabotage in mid-November 2025 on railway line no. 7 in the Mazowieckie region.
In that earlier case, two Ukrainian nationals allegedly acting on behalf of Russian intelligence detonated an explosive device near Życzyn and Mika, damaging a rail. Prosecutors classified the incident as a terrorist attack. The suspects reportedly fled to Belarus, prompting Poland to raise its rail network alert level to CHARLIE.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether the Puławy incident is linked to broader sabotage activities. The investigation remains ongoing.
Source: sektorkolejowy.pl
