Poland has strengthened its commitment to supporting Ukraine following a Russian drone attack that struck a passenger train and damaged infrastructure near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing early Sunday. The incident, which destroyed a gas station and the locomotive of a train bound for Warsaw, prompted high-level security meetings in the Polish capital as officials warn that Russia is pushing the war closer to NATO’s eastern flank.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told private broadcaster TVN that the targeting of border crossings is a deliberate tactic to deter international aid for Kyiv. He compared the current situation to similar attacks observed in Moldova and Romania. “Support for Ukraine is part of Poland’s reason of state,” Kosiniak-Kamysz stated, emphasizing that a Ukrainian defeat would directly compromise Poland’s own security.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting with security ministers and senior military commanders on Monday to discuss border reinforcement measures. Speaking on social media platform X, Tusk confirmed that the group addressed further steps to bolster national defenses. Later that evening, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced that Poland is preparing a “nonprovocative but serious response” to Russia’s escalation, aimed at enhancing security without unnecessarily provoking further conflict.
The drone strike hit a passenger train on the Kyiv-Warsaw line just before it reached the Polish border. All aboard were evacuated safely. Notably, two special trains carrying prominent international figures returning from a security conference in Kyiv were operating in the vicinity at the time. Among those on board were former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, and Günter Sautter, an adviser to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Katarzyna Piskorska, a Polish political scientist and organizer of the Warsaw Security Forum who was also on one of the trains, described the atmosphere as tense but controlled. She noted that passengers had been evacuated prior to the attack and expressed determination among the group to increase support for Ukraine despite the intimidation attempt. However, Piskorska highlighted that morale in Ukraine has deteriorated significantly due to a new generation of faster, jet-powered Russian drones.
While the Polish government remains firmly committed to Kyiv, with Sikorski even calling for doubled support based on national security interests, public opinion appears to be shifting. A mid-July survey indicated that only 52% of Poles favor continued military aid, a stark decline from 77.5% support recorded shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Kosiniak-Kamysz attributed this change to what he described as a “radical shift in sentiment” and the spread of Russian propaganda within Poland.
Polish media have echoed concerns about the escalating threat. Editorials in major dailies such as Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita warned that the Kremlin is sending clear signals that it is willing to target Polish citizens and is testing NATO’s defenses. Meanwhile, routine drone incidents continue along the border, including the discovery of an unarmed reconnaissance drone on a Baltic beach on Monday. As the war draws nearer, Polish officials stress the need for a coordinated response with European allies.
Boris Johnson on that train! Talk about dramatic timing. Glad everyone evacuated safely despite the scare.
The drop in Polish public support is alarming. 52% is a far cry from the initial 77%. Propaganda or just war fatigue?