Polish train track that helped transport aid to Ukraine destroyed in ‘act of sabotage,’ prime minister says
- - Polish train track that helped transport aid to Ukraine destroyed in ‘act of sabotage,’ prime minister says
Catherine Nicholls and Antonia Mortensen, CNNNovember 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, second right, visits the site of the railway track that was damaged near Deblin, Poland. - KPRM/AP
A train track between the Polish cities of Warsaw and Lublin was destroyed in an “unprecedented act of sabotage” over the weekend, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday, noting that the railway is “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine.”
An “explosive device” blew up the rail track on Sunday, Tusk said in a post on X, adding separately that the attack “directly (targeted) the security of the Polish state and its civilians.”
Destruction was also identified along the same route further down the railway line, he said.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Poland’s interior minister Marcin Kierwiński said that two separate incidents took place over the weekend – one confirmed act of sabotage, and one that was deemed “highly probable” to be sabotage. No arrests have been made so far in relation to the incidents.
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal strongly condemned the damage to the train track, writing on X that his country stands with Poland.
“Those behind hostile acts against (European Union) and NATO members must be exposed. Our response must be united,” Michal said.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also offered his country’s solidarity with Poland, offering support if needed and suggesting that Russia could have played a part in the incident.
“We hope investigation will provide answers and we also stand ready to assist if called upon,” Sybiha said. “Could have been another hybrid attack by Russia - to test responses. If true, they need to be strong.”
Tusk vowed that his country “will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are,” without saying who he believed was responsible for the damage.
The explosion, which did not cause any injuries according to Tusk, is the latest in a string of incidents in Europe that have left the continent on high alert.
Several European nations have reported incursions into their airspace in recent months, with most pointing the finger at Russia. The Kremlin has denied involvement.
Earlier this month, the European Commission adopted stricter rules on issuing visas to Russian nationals, citing safety risks related to Russia’s war on Ukraine as the reason for doing this.
“We now face unprecedented drone disruptions and sabotage on our soil. We have a duty to protect our citizens,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said in a statement.
A research paper by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) suggested that Russia is carrying out a “campaign of sabotage, vandalism, espionage and covert action” to destabilize European governments.
Incidents within this alleged campaign include the deliberate damaging of undersea cables, the targeting of telecommunications towers and arson plots, IISS said.
In an interview with the outlet Polsat News on Sunday, Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk said that his country has been confronted with varying acts of sabotage for some time, according to the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
Last year, an enormous fire destroyed a shopping center in Warsaw. Polish authorities announced in May that this was the result of arson ordered by Russian intelligence services, though Russia had previously denied allegations of orchestrating arson and sabotage operations across Europe.
While “someone must have damaged” the train track, Duszczyk said, he also warned against immediately assigning the blame to Russia, PAP reported.
“Russia is not so powerful that every arson, every situation of this type, is provoked by Russia. However, this cannot be ruled out or underestimated in any way,” he said, according to PAP.
The country’s Internal Security Agency is working alongside police, the prosecutor’s office and railway services to investigate the matter, Polish politician Tomasz Siemoniak said on X.
This story has been with additional developments.
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