Poland urges citizens near border to prepare shelters after Russian strikes in western Ukraine
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The aftermath of the Russian attack near the Yahodyn border checkpoint (Photo: Sylwester Uchanski/via REUTERS)
Russian attacks on western Ukraine pose a “very serious” threat to Poland, Polish Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek said in an interview with the Polish outlet RMF24 on Sept. 14, urging residents in border areas to know where they can take shelter in case of danger.
According to Mroczek, one goal of Russia’s strikes is to limit Ukraine’s transport capacity, including by disrupting deliveries of Western weapons and breaking up logistics routes. At the same time, he said, attacks near the Polish border create additional risks for Poland’s own security.
Poland is strengthening its intelligence capabilities and its ability to counter airborne threats in response to the changing security environment.
The deputy interior minister also advised people living in border regions to know where they can hide if danger arises. In detached houses, he said, the best option is usually a room connected to a basement or garage. In apartment buildings, residents should use the available protected spaces.
“We give advice depending on the type of building,” he said.
“If these are detached houses, you should first hide in rooms connected with a garage or basement, to protect yourselves. In apartment buildings there are also such rooms. There is an app called Where to Shelter?, which contains more than 80,000 such sites.”
On Sept. 13, Russian forces attacked a passenger train near the border with Poland in Ukraine’s Volyn Oblast. The train was traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw.
Ukrainian Railways later said the drone struck the locomotive at Yahodyn station. Shortly before the strike, a special train carrying European politicians had been in the area, and at the moment of the attack another train was present carrying former CIA Director David Petraeus.
On Sept. 10, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he expected Poland’s border crossings could become targets of Russian attacks.
The Polish prime minister also said he had received a “fairly precise report directly from the CIA regarding possible developments in the coming months.” According to Tusk, the report matched what he had “been saying and warning about for months.”
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