WARSAW — Poland is preparing measures to strengthen its border security after a Russian drone attack damaged a passenger train and a gas station near the Poland-Ukraine border, prompting officials to warn of a growing security threat.
A Russian drone struck near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing early Sunday, destroying the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train and a gas station, according to Polish and Ukrainian officials. Passengers and crew escaped safely.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Russia appeared to be targeting border infrastructure to discourage countries from supporting Ukraine.
“Support for Ukraine is part of Poland’s reason of state,” Kosiniak-Kamysz told TVN, adding that Ukraine’s defeat would worsen Poland’s security situation.
Poland discusses security measures
Prime Minister Donald Tusk met Monday with ministers responsible for national security and senior military commanders to discuss measures to reinforce Poland’s borders.
“We discussed further measures to strengthen the security of our borders,” Tusk said in a post on X.
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland would respond to what he described as Russia’s escalation.
“Poland will provide a nonprovocative but serious response to Russia’s escalation, such as the attack on the train in Ukraine near the Polish border, one that will strengthen security,” Sikorski told TVN.
Tusk said Poland would also discuss the incident with its European allies and prepare a coordinated response if necessary.
Train attack raises tensions
Russian drones struck a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw shortly before it reached the Polish border Sunday morning. The attack destroyed the locomotive, but authorities evacuated all passengers and crew.
Two special trains carrying participants returning from a security conference in Kyiv traveled nearby around the time of the attack.
Among the passengers were former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski.
Polish political scientist Katarzyna Piskorska, who attended the Warsaw Security Forum, said passengers on her train received an evacuation plan and left the train safely.
She said the incident strengthened the determination of conference participants to support Ukraine.
Public support for Ukraine declines
Poland’s government continues to support Ukraine despite incidents involving Russian drones and missiles and alleged Russian-linked sabotage.
Sikorski has called for increased support for Ukraine, arguing that Poland’s national security depends on Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia.
Public support, however, has declined since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
A mid-July survey found that 52% of respondents supported continued military aid to Ukraine, while 45% opposed it. After the 2022 invasion, support stood at 77.5%, compared with 18.3% who opposed continued military assistance.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland has experienced a significant shift in public sentiment toward Ukraine and accused some groups of spreading Russian propaganda.
Another drone reaches Polish coast
Polish authorities also investigated a drone that washed ashore near Jaroslawiec on the Baltic coast Monday.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the aircraft carried no weapons and appeared intended for reconnaissance rather than combat.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Polish authorities remained uncertain about how far Russia could escalate its actions.
“We do not know where Russia believes the limits of the escalation spiral lie,” he said. “But we do know that the Russians are prepared to go even further.”