Polish railway sabotaged
What happened?
- On November 16th The Warsaw-Lublin line was partly blown up
- Government officials have claimed that there were two possible acts of sabotage, one confirmed and one highly probable.
- The damage was discovered by a train driver and reported to local police.
- Approximately 110 trains use this route per day, and it is the main supply line across the Ukrainian border.
- Polish investigations have concluded that this act of sabotage was carried out by the Russian Secret Services, who recruited two Ukrainians to do it.
- Russia denies that it is behind the attacks.
Why?
This incident falls neatly into the established Russian playbook of sabotage in European countries. Another reason is that the rail line that was blown up was a central supply line to Ukraine, which Russia obviously doesn't want to fully function.
The strategic reasoning behind such attacks has several layers. As a direct challenge to NATO, it tests its decisiveness. Such attacks might also intend to intimidate Western Countries from keeping up their support for Ukraine and strengthen internal forces fear-mongering about escalation.
Statements
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"Blowing up the rail track on the Warsaw-Lublin route is an unprecedented act of sabotage targeting directly the security of the Polish state and its civilians. This route is also crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine. We will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are".- Donald Tusk
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"As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus".- Donald Tusk