Putin 'is plotting something bad': Russia may launch 'accidental' strikes on NATO countries supporting Ukraine, Poland PM warns
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Putin 'is plotting something bad': Russia may launch 'accidental' strikes on NATO countries supporting Ukraine, Poland PM warns")
File Photo: Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (L) speaks with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk (R) as they visiting the memorial museum to Katyn massacre on April 7, 2010. Photograph: (AFP)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has alleged that intelligence assessments point to a possible Russian strategy involving drones or missiles hitting countries that support Ukraine. These attacks, he said, would be portrayed by Moscow as an “accident” to test NATO’s response.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia could carry out drone or missile strikes against countries supporting Ukraine, with Moscow potentially portraying the attacks as "accidents" to test NATO’s willingness to respond.
Speaking in the Polish parliament on Thursday (Sep 17), Tusk said intelligence assessments pointing to such a scenario were “very consistent and convincing”. Tusk alleged that Britain, a key ally of Ukraine, could be one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's intended targets.
He urged Poland to prepare for a range of possibilities as Russia continues its war in Ukraine. “There is a real risk that drones or other types of missiles could penetrate the territory of one or more countries on the eastern flank and even cause damage, while the official explanation will be that there was an accident,” Tusk said.
Tusk argued that such incidents could be designed by an increasingly desperate Putin as a way to weaken support for Ukraine and create divisions within NATO over whether an attack had taken place deliberately.
Tusk warns of a test for NATO
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According to Tusk, Russia could use repeated incidents to undermine confidence in NATO’s collective defence commitments and make member states reluctant to invoke the alliance’s provisions.
He warned that the coming autumn and winter could be a particularly critical phase of the war, with Russia expected to intensify attacks on Ukraine while testing the resolve of its Western supporters.
"We know he is plotting something bad. However, for us the most important task is to prepare for various scenarios," said Tusk, adding, "We will certainly not naively accept such messages that Russia has goodwill and will start behaving properly. There is no indication of this."
The warning came after a fresh Russian aerial assault on western Ukraine near Poland’s border. Poland scrambled fighter jets and temporarily closed airports in response to the attack, although Warsaw said there was no confirmed breach of its airspace.
The use of faster, jet-powered drones has added to concerns among Ukraine’s allies because they leave air-defence systems less time to detect and engage incoming weapons. These have also led to calls for Britain and other allies to shoot down the jets before they could reach NATO airspace.
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"There is a real risk that drones or other types of missiles could penetrate the territory of one or more countries on the eastern flank and even cause damage, while the official explanation will be that there was an accident," warned the Polish PM.
Poland steps up air patrols
Poland has already increased military activity along its eastern frontier. Its air force has been conducting more F-16 patrols and helicopter operations, while Warsaw has pre-authorised its forces to shoot down any Russian aircraft that enter Polish airspace.
Tusk’s comments follow a series of incidents involving Russian drones and other military activity close to NATO territory. Earlier this month, Poland reported concerns over possible Russian activity near border infrastructure, while similar incidents have been reported around other Ukrainian border areas.
