Poland Sentences Igor Rogov to 7 Years for Espionage and Bomb Plot

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 13

A court in Sosnowiec gave Russian exile Igor Rogov 7 years in prison and his wife Irina 3 years for aiding him by carrying a USB stick to Russia; both plan to appeal.
The case began in July 2024 when a damaged parcel addressed to Rogov exposed detonators, metallic powder and a nitroglycerine solution hidden in everyday items, leading to his arrest in Poland.
Investigators later added espionage charges after evidence and testimony from Irina indicated Rogov had long collaborated with the FSB, reporting on Russian opposition activists in Russia and later in exile.
The closed trial left key details classified, and lawyers said the secrecy fueled an image of the couple as Kremlin operatives despite limited public evidence about how the bomb-related charges were proved.
The parcel’s origin remains disputed: Polish officials say it was a Russian sabotage plot, while court files and interviews point to a possible Ukrainian route toward Kaliningrad, underscoring murky spy-war networks around exiled Russians.