Polish drone factory targeted in Russian-linked sabotage plot

A journalistic investigation has uncovered a plot by a Russian-linked operative to sabotage a Polish drone factory. Using a Telegram provocation, a journalist from the Vot Tak outlet successfully infiltrated a network of saboteurs attempting to recruit individuals for criminal acts.

The recruiter, using the pseudonym ‘Joker’, initially offered $1,000 to burn vehicles with Ukrainian license plates. After the journalist declined, the operative proposed a larger mission: arson at the Flytronic factory in Gliwice, Poland. Flytronic is a subsidiary of the defense conglomerate WB Group and produces the FlyEye reconnaissance drones used extensively by the Ukrainian military.

The operative offered between $20,000 and $30,000 for the arson, promising an award from Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The investigation revealed that the Telegram account used by ‘Joker’ was registered to a Russian phone number from the Saratov region. The recruiter also provided video evidence of surveillance at the factory site and instructed the target to film the act with a sign reading ‘Vendetta’ to ensure the motive was clear.