Speaking before the Polish parliament on 17/9, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that intelligence assessments indicate Russia plans "hybrid missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks targeting countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland".
He added that UAVs could crash onto the territory of one or more nations on NATO's eastern flank, describing this as a "real danger". "While such incidents could cause devastation, Russian officials would claim they were merely accidents," he further explained.
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a press conference in Berlin, Germany in June. Photo: AP |
The Polish Prime Minister stated Russia's objective is to weaken NATO's overall cohesion, leading alliance members to believe that Article 5 on collective defense is "more theoretical than practical".
Tusk added that these attacks could coincide with "political upheavals" in some European countries, where factions advocating concessions to Ukraine would gain power or at least a "significant voice".
The Polish leader appeared to be referring to the rise of pro-Russian parties opposing aid to Ukraine, such as the National Rally (RN) in France or Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Prime Minister Tusk did not specify which intelligence agency issued this warning, nor did he present evidence to support his allegations.
Russian officials have not commented on the information.
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Location of Poland and Russia. Graphic: BBC |
European nations suspect Russia is behind a series of recent sabotage incidents aimed at pressuring countries assisting Ukraine in the conflict, particularly Germany. Moscow has denied these allegations.
Poland, a NATO member, serves as a primary hub for Western military aid and humanitarian support to Ukraine.
Since the conflict began, Russian and Ukrainian missiles have strayed into Polish airspace several times. Most were Russian cruise missiles targeting western Ukraine, with projectiles often briefly transiting Polish skies en route to their targets.
The most serious incident occurred in November 2022, when a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile crossed the border and crashed in a village on Polish territory, killing two people. Poland has since regularly activated its air defense systems and deployed fighter jets in readiness to respond to large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine.
During a major attack in late July, a missile identified by Poland as a Russian Kh-101 traveled nearly 100 km deep into its territory before crashing in an open area in Lublin province.
Pham Giang (According to AFP, Reuters)
