Attempts at attacks on railway tracks

Two acts of sabotage took place on the Warsaw–Lublin route. During the first, in the town of Mika, the explosion of an explosive device destroyed a railway track. In the second, near Puławy, a train carrying 475 passengers had to brake sharply because of damaged infrastructure.

“These incidents were intentional, they had their perpetrators and their aim was to cause a railway disaster,” Donald Tusk told the Sejm.

He explained that the perpetrators were identified thanks to the efficient action of the Polish services and the prosecutor’s office, as well as cooperation with allies.

“The identities of the perpetrators are already known, but due to ongoing operations I will not give their names now. One of the suspects is a Ukrainian citizen who was sentenced by a court in Lviv in May this year for acts of sabotage. The other is a resident of Donbas. Both entered Poland from Belarus just before the attacks,” said the Prime Minister.

Immediately after the sabotage, the suspects left Poland through the Terespol border crossing. This prevented the services from identifying them. All their data, together with their images, are in the possession of the prosecutor’s office.

“The acts of sabotage took place at intervals. The first consisted in mounting a steel clamp on the track which was probably meant to derail a train. This incident was supposed to be recorded by a mobile phone installed in the area of the track. Fortunately, the attempt proved completely ineffective,” the Prime Minister reported.

The second incident involved detonating a military explosive charge using a special device operated by wire.

“The charge exploded as a freight train on the Warsaw–Puławy route was passing, without causing it to derail and only slightly damaging the floor of a wagon. The driver did not even notice the incident,” the head of government said.

Poland is in contact with its allies regarding the clarification of these acts of sabotage. Work is ongoing to identify all those responsible and their accomplices.

Poland as a target of Russian sabotage

“For two years now our country has had to contend with sabotage carried out on behalf of foreign services.

“I would like everyone to know that in such cases the police, the special services and the prosecutor’s office always work with extraordinary dedication and intensity,” stressed Donald Tusk.

The first act of sabotage in Poland took place in January 2024 in Wrocław, where a consignment of paint was set on fire. A very dangerous incident also involved the arson of a shopping complex in Marywilska Street in Warsaw.

“In total, as regards acts of sabotage, we have so far detained 55 people, including 23 who have been placed under arrest. Twenty-eight people have been expelled. Recently, eight people have also been detained for attempting to reconnoitre various strategic facilities,” the Prime Minister underlined.

In all cases related to sabotage and intelligence activities, cooperation with the Russian services that commissioned these tasks has been identified.

Russian sabotage is carried out according to the same pattern not only in Poland but also in other European countries.

“The model is very similar. Citizens of other states, most often from Ukraine, are hired for this type of operation,” the head of government said.

Russia is concerned not only with the direct effect of sabotage, but also with its social and political consequences. The aim is to sow disorganisation, chaos, panic, speculation and uncertainty.

The need for national unity in the face of the Russian threat

Moscow commissions sabotage operations because it also wants to stir up anti-Ukrainian sentiment.

“This is particularly dangerous in countries such as Poland, where we already bear a heavy enough burden associated with more than one million Ukrainian refugees. It is becoming increasingly easy to stir up anti-Ukrainian sentiments,” the Prime Minister noted.

He added that “a little common sense is enough” to recognise in this an aggressive Russian political interest directed against Ukraine, Poland and the West.

“Therefore I strongly ask that in matters as important as terrorist attacks and acts of sabotage, we first and foremost try to respect the communications issued by the services. I also ask that we – regardless of emotions and political conflicts – look for what unites us and support the Polish state,” Donald Tusk explained.

The services have been instructed to provide the public with all possible information in order not to succumb to disinformation coordinated from the East.

The Prime Minister also announced that, in connection with terrorist threats, the third-level ‘Charlie’ alert would be introduced on certain railway lines.

“The Head of the Internal Security Agency and the Minister of the Interior and Administration, after obtaining the opinion of the Team for Terrorist Threats, jointly requested that I introduce the third-level ‘Charlie’ alert in connection with terrorist threats. Certain railway lines will be covered by this level. In the rest of the country, the second alert level will continue to apply as before,” the head of government said.

In addition, he asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take immediate diplomatic action towards Belarus and Russia in order to have those suspected of the terrorist attack handed over to Poland.

“We will also take other measures which – I hope – will lead to the swift apprehension of the perpetrators and their accomplices,” the Prime Minister stressed.

The government is also working on using the armed forces, if necessary, to secure critical infrastructure, including rail.