Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed that an explosion that destroyed a section of railway track on the strategic Warsaw-Lublin line was an act of sabotage, calling it a deliberate strike on national security.
“An unprecedented act of sabotage”
“The explosion of an explosive device destroyed the railway track,” Tusk wrote on X on Monday, adding that prosecutors and emergency services were working at the scene and that additional damage had been found further along the same route.
He described the incident as “an unprecedented act of sabotage aimed at the security of the Polish state and its citizens,” vowing that authorities would track down the perpetrators “regardless of who is behind them.”
Investigation widens after multiple damaged sites found
On Sunday, police said a train driver had first noticed track damage in central Poland. Tusk said he had been in constant contact with the interior minister and that sabotage could not be ruled out, though no injuries were reported.
Warsaw has repeatedly warned that Poland’s role as a logistical hub for military aid to Ukraine makes it a likely target for hostile operations – an assessment Moscow has routinely denied.
Tusk: “Russia is already waging war against the West”
The sabotage comes as Tusk has publicly escalated warnings about Russian activity inside Europe. In a recent interview with Gazeta Wyborcza, he said Russia is already conducting a sophisticated hybrid war against the West and maintains “a fifth column” across Europe aiming to divide societies.
He argued that Poland has become strategically central because of the war in Ukraine, calling it both a threat and an opportunity for the country’s long-term security
“Poland’s geopolitical future will look really good if Ukraine does not lose the war,” he said, adding that building strong, partnership-based ties with a sovereign Ukraine is “a great opportunity for Poland.”
Supporting Ukraine, he argued, is essential: “If it loses, Poland’s situation will change radically for the worse.”
Drone incursions and cyberattacks seen as part of the same pattern
Tusk also referenced a mass Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace in September, which he described as a “turning point.” Although it later emerged the drones were decoys, he said the incident still constituted an act of aggression.
“The war Russia is waging against us is much more sophisticated than it used to be,” he said, warning that Poland faces arson attempts, drone incidents, pressure on the Belarus border and increasingly aggressive cyberattacks.
He said he had long warned partners, even if some – including Hungary’s Viktor Orbán – accused him of warmongering.
“But that war is already ongoing,” Tusk said.
NATO support remains vital
Despite concerns over political turbulence in Washington, Tusk stressed that Poland’s security still rests on NATO, saying allies – particularly neighbors such as Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Sweden – stand unified.
“We arm ourselves together, we train together, and we have a clearly defined common enemy,” he said.
Looking ahead, Tusk argued that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own defense. “A much greater responsibility for peace and security in Europe falls on our shoulders,” he said, adding that building military strength will make “Poland a stronger ally – not a solitary one.”