Drone attacks in the Ukrainian-Polish border region
A passenger train travelling from Kyiv to Warsaw was hit by a Russian drone in Ukraine on Sunday. It was not far from the Polish border. The 206 passengers were evacuated without any injuries. A petrol station in the Ukrainian border region with Poland was also hit. Given the proximity of the strikes, the incident is provoking growing concern in Poland.
Moscow willing to take any risk now
For Gazeta Wyborcza, the attack is a sign that Russia no longer shies away from killing citizens of Nato countries:
“Until now the Russians had steered clear of the crossings on Ukraine's western border through which Western aid entered the country, presumably out of concern that they might kill citizens of Nato countries or miss their target and cause damage or even casualties on the Polish side, that is to say the Nato side. The attack on the train headed for Warsaw is a sign that Russia is now willing to take that risk. It seems prepared to accept casualties on our side, and is perhaps even deliberately targeting citizens of Nato countries.”
Kremlin aiming to weaken support for Ukraine
In an article for Interia, Liberal columnist Leszek Jażdżewski sees the drone attacks as a warning to Europe:
“Putin understands that in this war Western Europe's support for Ukraine is on shaky ground – that there is little resolve to fight there. And that – as in Poland – deliberately stoked internal tensions and nationalist and anti-Ukrainian sentiment can have an impact and lead to Western support for Ukraine being weakened at a crucial moment in the the war.”