Poland has confirmed that recent sabotage attempts on rail lines southeast of Warsaw are linked to Russian intelligence. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said two Ukrainian citizens working with Russian services tried to trigger train derailments on the Warsaw-Lublin route, a key corridor for moving Western weapons to Ukraine.
Poland faces "most serious security challenge" as Russia expands sabotage across Europe
Poland’s findings fit with wider warnings from Kyiv and its partners that Russia is stepping up efforts to disrupt European logistics networks that support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
Tusk told lawmakers the incidents mark one of Poland’s most serious security challenges since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Both suspects entered Poland from Belarus earlier this year and later fled back across the Terespol border crossing. One had a previous conviction in Lviv, Ukraine, for sabotage. Their identities are known to investigators but have not been released.
Tusk: military-grade C4 used in one of the attacks
The incidents, near Puławy and Mika, were intended to cause derailments and disrupt supply routes vital to Kyiv.
The first incident, near Puławy, involved a steel clamp attached to the tracks, designed to derail a train. A mobile phone and power bank were set up as a triggering device, but the attempt failed.
The second attack, on 15 November near Mika, involved a military-grade C4 charge detonated through a 300-meter electrical cable using an initiating device. The explosion damaged the floor of a freight wagon but did not derail the train. Another train passing later had to brake sharply near the site of the blast.
According to Tusk, the attacks were deliberate and intended to create serious disruption. He emphasized that Moscow aims to spread panic, confusion, and anti-Ukrainian sentiment within Poland.
Security tightened on rail lines leading toward Ukraine
Following the incidents, Poland tightened security on rail lines linking Warsaw, Lublin, and Rzeszów, a key transit point for Western military shipments to Ukraine. Territorial defence forces now patrol around 120 km of track, supported by drones and a helicopter.
Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said teams are focusing on bridges, tunnels, switches, and traffic-control systems along the route. Units from the 2nd Lublin Territorial Defence Brigade, including its 25th light infantry battalion, are already deployed.
Tusk noted that Poland has detained 55 people in recent months in cases linked to Russian operations, underscoring Moscow’s ongoing efforts to create fear and instability in the country.
The confirmation of Russian-linked sabotage on rail lines used to supply Ukraine highlights the growing pressure on Europe’s logistics network as the war continues.
