Warsaw, Poland — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused Russia of orchestrating acts of “air terror” against Poland and other nations, alleging a coordinated campaign to target global aviation.
Tusk made the explosive claim during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as tensions between Russia and the West remain high amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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“I can only confirm that Russia planned acts of air terror, not just against Poland but against airlines across the globe,” Tusk stated, without providing further details about specific plots.
Coordinated Sabotage Suspected
The allegations come after a series of incidents in July when fires broke out in cargo parcels at transport depots in Leipzig, Germany; Birmingham, UK; and Warsaw, Poland. Investigations revealed the fires were caused by magnesium, a material that burns at extremely high temperatures and is difficult to extinguish.
Western intelligence agencies believe these incidents were part of a coordinated plot to sabotage cargo aircraft. Germany’s domestic intelligence chief, Thomas Haldenwang, attributed the incidents to “Russian espionage and sabotage.”
A recent report by The New York Times indicated that U.S. intelligence warned the White House about Russian plans to smuggle incendiary devices onto cargo planes destined for the United States. The White House reportedly issued a direct warning to the Kremlin to halt such operations.
Broader Hybrid Warfare Campaign
Russia has faced numerous accusations of hybrid warfare tactics in recent years, including sabotaging European transportation infrastructure and jamming GPS signals. Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka previously claimed Russia had conducted “thousands of attempts” to attack European railways since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The latest allegations echo past incidents, including the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people. More recently, Russia was accused of involvement in the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet in Kazakhstan, killing 38. While Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an apology for the Azerbaijani incident, Moscow has consistently denied responsibility for MH17 and other aviation-related tragedies.
Russia and Ukraine Exchange Prisoners
In a rare moment of cooperation, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner-of-war (POW) swap on Wednesday, marking the first such exchange of 2025.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the return of 25 Russian POWs in exchange for 25 Ukrainian servicemen. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy praised the exchange, noting that some of the freed soldiers had fought at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, which fell to Russian forces in 2022.
“Bringing our people home is what Ukraine is constantly working on, and we will not stop until we bring all of our people back,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Photos released by Zelenskyy showed Ukrainian soldiers receiving medical checks and clutching national flags as they reunited with their compatriots.
Russia stated that its soldiers were receiving psychological and medical care in Belarus before their return to Russia.
Escalating Tensions
Tusk’s accusations against Russia highlight the ongoing tensions between Moscow and Western nations, as the war in Ukraine continues to dominate geopolitical discourse. While the POW exchange may signal a rare moment of cooperation, allegations of sabotage and hybrid warfare underscore the persistent mistrust between the parties.
The international community awaits further developments as Poland and its allies investigate the alleged plots, with Tusk calling for vigilance and unity in the face of Russian aggression.
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