Poland launches shelter-locator website after Russian strikes near border with Ukraine
The Polish government launched a website, gdziesieukryc.pl, where citizens can find nearby shelters. The service was introduced in response to a Russian attack on the night of September 13 that struck targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border, including a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw.
Key points
- Poland launched a national shelter-locator website at gdziesieukryc.pl in response to Russian strikes near the border.
- On the night of September 13, Russia struck a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw about two kilometers from the Polish border.
- No casualties were reported on the Kyiv–Warsaw train because a monitoring group warned the crew in advance.
- Russian drones hit the Yahodyn international crossing point, and a drone struck a truck near the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing, according to Polish Border Guard spokesperson Dariusz Sieniecki.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack 'Putin's terror, which is knocking directly on the doors of the EU and NATO.'
- Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski described the strikes as 'another escalation on the spectrum' by Russia.
- Security expert Jarosław Stelmakh said Poland had previously done little to prepare shelters and that its eastern flank lacks adequate facilities.
Why it matters
Poland is a frontline NATO and EU state bordering Ukraine, and Russian strikes reaching its border represent a significant escalation. The launch of a national shelter-locator website indicates Poland is beginning civilian-preparedness measures tied directly to the war next door. The September 13 attack hit multiple targets near the border, including international rail and road crossings, raising questions about the security of cross-border civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian and Polish foreign ministers publicly framed the strikes as a direct provocation against NATO and the EU.
What happened
The Polish government launched a shelter-locator website, gdziesieukryc.pl, where users can find nearby shelters. The service was introduced in connection with a Russian attack on the night of September 13 that struck targets in the border area between Ukraine and Poland. According to Ukrainian railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia, Russia struck a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw about two kilometers from the Polish border; no casualties were reported because a monitoring group warned the crew in advance. Russian drones also struck the Yahodyn international crossing point on the Ukrainian-Polish border, and Polish Border Guard spokesperson Dariusz Sieniecki said a drone hit a truck near the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing. A gas station in Ukraine near the border was also reportedly hit during the attack. The Polish government did not explicitly link the website's launch to any single target in the available reporting, but the timing followed the September 13 strikes.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language sources frame the shelter-locator launch as a direct consequence of Russian attacks on Ukrainian border infrastructure, emphasizing Ukraine's experience and the threat spilling over to a neighboring NATO country. The coverage centers Ukrainian official reactions, particularly Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's characterization of the strikes as 'Putin's terror' knocking on EU and NATO doors, and highlights Ukrzaliznytsia's reporting on the strike against the Kyiv–Warsaw passenger train and the role of a Ukrainian monitoring group in warning the crew.
Where reporting differs
The September 13 Russian strike is described across sources as hitting variously a gas station near the Polish border, a passenger train locomotive about two kilometers from the border, drones at the Yahodyn crossing, and a drone hitting a truck near Yahodyn–Dorohusk; the relationship between these as one event or several is not reconciled in the supplied facts. The security expert is identified in some sources as Yaroslav Stelmakh and in others as Jarosław Stelmakh, with titles varying between 'security expert and president of Safety Project' and 'professor.'
Background
On the night of September 13, Russia struck a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw about two kilometers from the Polish border; a monitoring group warned the crew in advance and no casualties were reported. Russian drones also struck the Yahodyn international crossing point on the Ukrainian-Polish border, and a drone hit a truck near the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing according to Polish Border Guard spokesperson Dariusz Sieniecki. Spiegel reported that a separate evacuated train carried European advisers and diplomats including former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Security expert Jarosław Stelmakh, professor and president of Safety Project, argued that Poland had previously done little to prepare safe places and that its eastern flank lacks adequate shelters for Polish citizens.