Poland expects Russia to target border crossings as attacks on Ukraine escalate – Russia has already hit crossings with Moldova and Romania

Poland expects Russia to target border crossings with Ukraine as Moscow expands its strikes on trade and logistics routes far from the front line, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on 10 September, according to Reuters.

The warning comes after Russia has already struck at least five Ukrainian border crossings with Moldova and NATO member Romania since late August. The attacks mark a significant escalation in Russia’s targeting of Ukraine’s civilian transport, trade, and logistics infrastructure, far from the front line.

“Last night, thanks to cooperation between our services and their Ukrainian counterparts, a direct threat to one of the border crossings was averted,” Tusk said at a press conference in Bratislava, according to Reuters.

He said Poland expected Russia to take similar action against border crossings in other countries, including Poland.

Russia has significantly ramped up its aerial attacks across Ukraine in recent months, increasingly striking civilian transport, energy, industrial, and logistics infrastructure while deploying newer and more capable weapons. The expanded use of drones and missiles has also made these attacks harder to stop, allowing Russia to hit targets farther from the front line with greater frequency and inflict more damage and casualties.

Russia is striking Ukraine’s civilian travel and logistics routes

The Russian attacks have targeted crossings in Ukraine’s southern Odesa Oblast, hundreds of kilometers from the front line.

Four of the crossings hit since late August are on Ukraine’s border with Moldova, while another is on the Romanian border. The sites handle civilian traffic, trade, and logistics that have become increasingly important to Ukraine as the war continues.

On 9 September, Russian drones struck the Starokozache crossing with Moldova, killing two civilians and injuring three others. During the attack, one Russian drone entered Moldovan airspace and flew toward Romania, prompting NATO aircraft conducting air-policing duties to scramble.

Russian drones also struck the Orlivka ferry crossing on the Romanian border twice in early September.

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Far from any front line: Russia has hit at least five of Ukraine’s western border crossings with Moldova and NATO member since late August

Poland prepares for further escalation

Tusk said he had received a “fairly precise report” from the CIA about possible developments in the coming months, which he said aligned with warnings he had made previously.

“Poland and all of Europe need to be prepared for different possibilities,” Tusk said, including developments not only on the Russian-Ukrainian front but also along the EU’s eastern flank.

The warning comes as Russian strikes increasingly reach toward Ukraine’s borders with NATO and EU countries. The drone incursions into Moldovan and Romanian airspace during attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure have already brought NATO forces into the response.

The latest attacks represent a broader shift in Russia’s targeting: Moscow is not only striking Ukraine’s cities and military infrastructure, but increasingly hitting the trade, transport, and civilian logistics routes that keep the country functioning during the war.