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Poland says Russian rail sabotage aimed at destabilising society

18.11.2025 17:40
Two recent acts of sabotage on a key railway line in eastern Poland, likely carried out on behalf of Russian intelligence, were designed to sow fear and destabilise the country, a senior security official said on Tuesday.
Polish security services work at a damaged section of the railway line between Dęblin and Warsaw near the Mika station, 17 November 2025. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the incident was an act of sabotage, with an explosive device damaging the tracks.
Polish security services work at a damaged section of the railway line between Dęblin and Warsaw near the Mika station, 17 November 2025. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the incident was an act of sabotage, with an explosive device damaging the tracks.Photo: PAP/Wojtek Jargiło

Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for the minister overseeing Poland’s security services, said the pattern of the incidents suggested a deliberate attempt to shake public confidence.

"Everything indicates that this was, one might say, a terrorist attack initiated by Russian intelligence services,” he told reporters.

"Russian services want to destabilise our society; they want to frighten us."

Dobrzyński warned that a wave of unverified reports circulating in the media could be part of the operation’s secondary goal: fuelling confusion.

"Information from unknown sources, later amplified by some outlets, may be typical Russian disinformation," he said.

The comments follow two recent sabotage attempts southeast of Warsaw along a rail line that leads to Dorohusk on Poland's border with Ukraine.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into what they classify as sabotage conducted on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.

Dobrzyński also cautioned that Moscow could attempt to manipulate the narrative by suggesting Ukrainian involvement.

He declared that Polish security services were "keeping their finger on the pulse" to prevent further destabilisation.

A government security committee convened on Tuesday to assess the situation, with senior military commanders, intelligence chiefs and a representative of the president present.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that individuals suspected of carrying out the acts of sabotage were Ukrainian nationals working on behalf of Russia's intelligence services.

(ał)

Source: PAP