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The trial of Russians and Belarusians facing espionage charges has opened in Bialystok, Poland, according to local coverage. Podlaskie24 reported on the start of the proceedings. Journalists from Poland describe the hearings as taking place behind closed doors. The investigation is being handled by the military affairs department of the district prosecutor’s office in Warsaw, and the Polish Counterintelligence Service filed the accusation.

Prosecutors say the detainees spied for Russia from 2017 until April 2022. They face sentences of up to 10 years in prison. The defendants are accused of collecting intelligence on Polish military units, their deployments, equipment, and personnel, as well as information on NATO forces stationed in the northeastern region of Poland.

Before his arrest, a Belarusian national worked for an organization involved in skydiving and was connected to the Russian tourism sector, according to the charges.

Separately, an Albanian court postponed a hearing regarding the extradition of a Russian travel blogger named Lana Sator who is accused of espionage, a development reported by regional outlets.