Poland: the suspect in the assassination of Donald Tusk was in possession of “homemade explosive devices”

A man suspected of planning the assassination of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz was in possession of homemade explosive devices in his apartment, a prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. Polish authorities found “a dozen objects which were established to be homemade explosive materials” at the home of this 66-year-old man, after his arrest on Sunday, Piotr Skiba said at a press conference.

The spokesperson said the metal balls found inside a stun grenade were likely "explosive devices similar to fragmentation grenades." The suspect - identified under Polish privacy law as Krzysztof N. - also recruited other people in possession of weapons for his alleged attack, Skiba added. He was charged with nine offenses including “planning to forcibly overthrow state authorities.” The suspect did not admit the facts and refused to explain himself. If convicted, he faces a sentence of two to fifteen years in prison. Poland - a NATO and EU member state located on the eastern flank of the two blocs - is on high alert following a recent wave of knife attacks.