Polish authorities are set to press charges against two Ukrainians for allegedly carrying out a terrorist sabotage on behalf of Russia by causing an explosion that damaged a railway track used for transporting goods to Ukraine, as announced by prosecutors on Wednesday. The suspects fled to Belarus right after the attack on the rail line connecting Warsaw to the Ukrainian border, according to officials who claim the individuals had been working with Russian secret services for an extended period.
Several other individuals have been taken into custody in connection to the railway blast, prosecutors revealed without providing further specifics. Prime Minister Donald Tusk labeled the explosion as an unprecedented act of sabotage, while Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called it an act of state terror.
The explosion occurred near Mika, approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Warsaw, resulting in track damage with no reported injuries. Additionally, power lines were destroyed in Puławy, about 50 kilometers from Lublin, in a separate incident over the weekend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed suspicions of a Russian involvement in the sabotage, stating that only Russians would have an interest in such actions. Zelenskyy assured Poland of providing all necessary information and proposed the formation of a Polish-Ukrainian task force to combat Russian sabotage.
Western officials have accused Russia and its allies of orchestrating numerous attacks and incidents across Europe following the invasion of Ukraine, aiming to weaken support for Ukraine, instill fear, and create divisions within European societies. In response, the Polish government announced plans to deploy up to 10,000 soldiers to assist the police in safeguarding critical infrastructure nationwide.
Sikorski declared the closure of the last remaining Russian consulate in Gdansk as a retaliatory measure against the attack, noting that two other consulates had been shut down in recent years, while the Russian embassy in Warsaw remains operational. In retaliation, Moscow announced a reduction in Poland’s diplomatic and consular presence in Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed regret over the deteriorating relations with Poland and the Polish authorities’ actions to sever consular and diplomatic ties, signaling a complete breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two countries.