Politics Poland sees Russia behind attack on railroad line

SDA

18.11.2025 - 12:08

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2nd from right) inspects the Mika railroad line near Deblin (Lublin voivodeship), which was damaged by sabotage. Photo: KPRM/AP/dpa
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2nd from right) inspects the Mika railroad line near Deblin (Lublin voivodeship), which was damaged by sabotage. Photo: KPRM/AP/dpa
Keystone

Poland has blamed Russia for the explosives attack on a strategically important railroad line. According to Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the intelligence coordinator in Warsaw, there is every indication that the sabotage was ordered by the Russian secret services. The government's Committee for National Security had previously met in a special session.

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On Sunday, previously unknown perpetrators had destroyed tracks on the route from the capital Warsaw to Lublin in the east of the country with an explosive charge. The damage was noticed in time by a train driver and reported to the control center, which temporarily closed the line. The government assumes that the explosion near the village of Mika, 100 kilometers southeast of Warsaw, was intended to blow up a train. There were two other incidents on the same line. The public prosecutor's office and the secret service are investigating.

"The Russian services want to destabilize our society, they want to spread fear," Dobrzynski continued. However, the investigators would clear up the matter completely.

Military transports to Ukraine via Poland's rail network

In the EU and NATO member state Poland, which is one of the closest political and military allies of Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, there has been fear of Russian sabotage since the start of the war. The railroad network in particular is considered a possible target, as many military transports to Ukraine run via Poland to the neighboring country. The route now affected leads to the border town of Dorohusk and from there on to Ukraine.

Last year, Poland's government had already blamed Russian intelligence services for a major fire in a shopping center in Warsaw. In October, eight people were also arrested on charges of planning acts of sabotage and espionage on behalf of Moscow.