Poland detains and questions Russian man who illegally crossed from Belarus

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s security officials say that a 41-year-old man from Russia has been detained and is being questioned after illegally crossing in from Russia’s ally Belarus. Deputy interior minister said Wednesday officials were trying to establish whether the man was a deserter from Russian army or was assigned to carry out secret tasks in the European Union for Russia. Polish media reported the man was not armed and was in civilian clothes, but was carrying a written contract with the Russian army that included participation in actions being part of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The detention came shortly after a controversial Polish judge defected to Belarus.