Poland has accused Russian intelligence services of directing the weekend sabotage operation that damaged a key railway line used to deliver military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. The allegation comes following two incidents that struck one of the country’s most important eastbound transport corridors.
Spokesperson for Poland’s special services coordinator Jacek Dobrzyński, on Tuesday, November 18, said investigators now believed the railway explosion near Warsaw was orchestrated by foreign intelligence services, adding that “everything indicates” that Russian intelligence services were behind the rail sabotage incidents in Poland over the weekend.
“The fact is that everything indicates that this … we can already confidently call it a terrorist attack, was initiated by special services from the East,” he said.
Speaking separately to The Guardian, Dobrzyński reiterated that the sabotage appeared to bear the hallmarks of hostile intelligence activity.
“All indications suggest that we can now confidently call this a terrorist attack initiated by the intelligence services of Eastern states,” Dobrzyński told The Guardian.
He added that further details could not yet be disclosed because “Russian intelligence would very much like to obtain this information.”
The new statements reinforce earlier lines of inquiry outlined by senior Polish officials, who on Monday, November 17, suggested there was a “very high chance” the attack had been ordered by “foreign services.”
Critical rail link targeted
The explosion occurred early Sunday on a section of track near the town of Mika (Życzyn), southeast of Warsaw, on the route connecting the capital with Lublin and onward to Ukraine.
A train driver first reported the problem around 07:30 local time, prompting an emergency stop. Photographs later showed a piece of rail missing, and the interior minister confirmed that “the use of explosives was beyond any doubt.”
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A second incident on the same line later that day, this time involving damaged overhead power cables that shattered several train windows, forced another train carrying 475 passengers to halt suddenly near Puławy. No injuries were reported.
Officials said both incidents were likely deliberate and formed part of the same sabotage effort.
Poland PM Tusk says explosion was ‘unprecedented act of sabotage’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited the site on Monday, calling the explosion “an unprecedented act of sabotage” and vowing to track down those responsible.
He noted that the damaged line is “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine,” underscoring the strategic impact of any disruption. Poland serves as one of Kyiv’s most vital logistical corridors, enabling the movement of weapons, supplies, and civilians.
Following an emergency meeting of security officials in Warsaw, special services minister Tomasz Siemoniak said there was a “very high chance” the attack was ordered by foreign intelligence.
He did not initially name Russia, but Poland has faced a wave of suspected Russian-orchestrated incidents in recent years, from arson attempts to parcel bombings, which it sees as part of a wider hybrid campaign.
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Siemoniak warned that the two incidents on Sunday suggested the perpetrators “have decided to begin a new phase of threatening the railway infrastructure.”
Suspected Russian hybrid activities
The incidents come amid growing Western concern over Russia’s covert operations across Europe. According to data cited by the Associated Press, Western officials have attributed dozens of sabotage attempts and disruptive operations to Russia or its proxies since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Poland has been one of the primary targets. Recent cases include parcel bombs allegedly sent from Lithuania using international courier services, one of which detonated near Warsaw, while another exploded in a DHL facility in the UK.
Also, there were arrests of individuals recruited through Telegram channels that Polish authorities say are linked to Russian intelligence.
An operation in 2022 also saw more than a dozen people convicted of installing cameras near Polish rail lines used to transport weapons to Ukraine.
However, Polish officials noted that the damage inflicted near Mika marks the first direct attack on the country’s rail network.
The cases have heightened concerns within NATO and the EU. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance is in close contact with Polish authorities and is awaiting further findings.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb urged European governments to stay calm while acknowledging the broader threat.
He told reporters in Brussels that “this is unfortunately the new normal”, arguing that Russia is seeking to “destabilize our societies through information and other campaigns.”
In a separate interview, Stubb said Moscow is waging “two types of warfare,” conventional war in Ukraine and hybrid war across Europe, noting that “the line between war and peace has been blurred.”
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