Polish Authorities Investigating Sabotage of Critical Railway Used To Transport Aid to Ukraine

Latest Developments

• 2 Incidents on Same Route: Polish authorities are investigating damage resulting from two incidents of sabotage along a railway critical to transporting people and supplies to Ukraine. Damage from an explosion caused a train to make an emergency stop near the village of Mika, approximately 62 miles south of Warsaw. On the same track, another train carrying 475 passengers was forced to stop after encountering damage to around 60 meters of power lines between Mika and Lublin. Despite no injuries being reported in either incident, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that it was “beyond any doubt that an explosive device was detonated, damaging the railway tracks” in the earlier incident. Authorities are now investigating whether the sabotage was carried out on the order of a foreign state actor.
• Tusk Vows Saboteurs Will Be Caught: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incidents an “unprecedented act of sabotage,” vowing that the perpetrators will be caught “regardless of who their backers are.” This incident fits with a broader pattern of Russian sabotage and other covert action across Europe over the past few years. On November 17, a Russian drone strike on a ship carrying 4,400 tons of liquified petroleum gas at a Ukrainian port prompted Romania to evacuate the nearby towns of Ceatalchioi and Plauru. The authorities ordered the evacuations out of an abundance of caution, anticipating that an explosion resulting from fires caused by the attack could affect a radius of approximately 3 miles.
• Ukraine Agrees To Buy French Jets: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent for Ukraine to purchase up to 100 Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France over the next decade. The agreement, signed during a meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, includes the acquisition of drones and drone interceptors, guided bombs, and the French-made SAMP/T air defense systems. In October, Zelenskyy signed an agreement to purchase 150 Swedish-made Saab Gripen fighter jets. Both aircraft will complement Ukraine’s fleet of American F-16s, French Dassault Mirage fighters, and older Soviet-made jets. “I can tell you that this is a very serious fleet that we are building for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

FDD Expert Response

“Railroads are critical transportation systems for moving humanitarian aid to Ukraine. NATO also relies on this network to move troops and military equipment. The vulnerability of these rail lines to physical and cyber sabotage risks undermining NATO’s military readiness and its ability to mobilize forces to defend against Russia’s increasing incursions into allied airspace.” — Annie Fixler, CCTI Director and Senior Fellow

“The Kremlin continues to blur the line between war and peace. The sabotage of Poland’s railway is just the latest example. The attacks on U.S. allies in Europe demand tougher responses, particularly secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian energy. These assaults won’t stop until Moscow feels real economic pain for its aggression.” — Peter Doran, Adjunct Senior Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“Massive Russian Missile and Drone Attack Kills 6 Overnight in Kyiv,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘He’s Not Messing Around’: Trump Signals NATO Could Shoot Down Russian Aircraft as Aerial Incursions Continue,” FDD Flash Brief

“Military Mobility Depends on Secure Critical Infrastructure,” by Annie Fixler, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, and Rory Lane

“Putin’s hybrid warfare diverts Western attention and resources from Ukraine,” by Ivana Stradner