Tusk Warned of New Threats Along Poland's Border
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russian attacks on Ukraine are increasingly taking place near the Polish border. According to him, because of this, the Polish military has to scramble military aircraft several times a day. Tusk warned that the coming weeks and months could be difficult for Poland.
Russian strikes on Ukraine are increasingly taking place near the border with Poland. As a result, Polish authorities and the military are stepping up their preparedness for potential threats. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made this statement on September 29 before a meeting of the Council of Ministers. He said the situation requires constant attention from Polish security services.
Tusk noted that Poland may face “very difficult weeks and months” due to Russia’s actions against Ukraine. “We are focused on ensuring that nothing bad happens on the Polish side,” said the Polish prime minister.
Polish fighter jets have to be scrambled several times a day
According to Tusk, the Polish military has to regularly scramble aircraft due to Russian attacks near the border. “Every night or every 24 hours, we are forced to scramble our aircraft multiple times,” he stated. This is not just about the immediate proximity of hostilities. Russian strikes are also targeting infrastructure near the Polish border, particularly border crossings.
On the night of September 29, a Russian drone crashed near the Polish border crossing in Dorohusk. According to the Polish Ministry of Defense, the drone crashed on the Ukrainian side, approximately two kilometers from the border. This is not the first such incident in recent weeks. On September 24, due to Russian strikes on Ukraine, Poland evacuated the border crossings in Dorohusk and Zosyn twice, after which operations there were resumed.
Poland receives information from Ukraine
Tusk also emphasized the importance of constant communication with the Ukrainian side. According to him, Poland receives information about aerial objects and other threats approaching its border. The Ukrainian military, the prime minister said, is attempting to destroy such targets while they are still over Ukrainian territory.
At the same time, the Polish side independently monitors the situation and keeps its military aviation on standby. Similar measures have been taken repeatedly during large-scale Russian attacks on western regions of Ukraine. For example, on September 23 and 24, Poland scrambled fighter jets following Russian strikes, and residents of border regions received warnings about an air threat. The Polish military reported, however, that no violations of Polish airspace were recorded.
Poland Cites Increased Risks
Tusk states that the situation near the Polish border has changed due to more frequent Russian strikes on western Ukraine. As early as September 13, the Polish prime minister said that the coming weeks and months could see a significant intensification of Russian actions. At that time, he also stated that Poland could not rule out the risk that such an escalation might affect its territory.
On September 17, Tusk had already warned of the possibility of “accidental” drone or missile strikes on NATO countries that support Ukraine. He noted at the time that these were potential hybrid attacks. However, Polish authorities are not claiming that Russia has already struck Polish territory as part of the current series of attacks. The concern is the increased activity near the border and the need to respond to potential threats.
Tusk emphasized that Poland will continue to monitor the situation and maintain constant communication with Ukraine. According to him, the main task now is to prevent the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukraine from spreading to Polish territory.
