Poland reinforces border crossings with Ukraine after Russian drone strikes
Poland is strengthening infrastructure and security at border crossing points along its border with Ukraine, citing Russian threats following recent drone incidents near the frontier. Military engineers are building observation and guard posts at three crossings using fortification systems, while the defense minister says Russia's actions endanger the security of all of Europe.
Key points
- Polish military engineers are building observation and guard posts at the Dorohusk, Medyka, and Korczowa border crossings with Ukraine.
- Engineering work is being carried out by the 4th and 18th Engineer Regiments, with the 18th Pontoon-Bridge Regiment also reinforcing posts and infrastructure near the frontier.
- Polish troops are using HESCO Bastion fortification systems — metal mesh and geotextile structures filled with soil or sand — to construct border fortifications.
- The construction supports the Nadbużanska unit of Poland's Border Guard.
- On the night of September 13, a drone struck a truck near the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing and a strike drone attacked a Ukrzaliznytsia locomotive about 2 km from the Polish border.
- Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said recent events show that Russia poses a threat to the security of all of Europe.
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland plans to speed up traffic flow at the border with Ukraine to prevent vehicle build-ups that could become targets for Russian attacks.
Why it matters
Poland is hardening military and physical security at a key NATO frontier with Ukraine in direct response to Russian drone strikes hitting targets within kilometres of Polish territory. The move underscores how the war in Ukraine is increasingly producing kinetic effects on NATO's eastern border, and signals that Warsaw is preparing for the possibility of further escalation.
What happened
Poland has begun strengthening infrastructure at border crossing points along its border with Ukraine, according to Polish border guards and the country's General Command. Military engineers from the 4th and 18th Engineer Regiments — including the 18th Pontoon-Bridge Regiment — are building observation and guard posts near the Dorohusk, Medyka, and Korczowa crossings, providing engineering support to the Nadbużanska unit of Poland's Border Guard. The troops are using HESCO Bastion fortification systems, metal mesh and geotextile containers filled with soil or sand, to rapidly construct the fortifications. The decision follows Russian drone strikes on the night of September 13: one drone hit a truck near the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing, and another struck a Ukrzaliznytsia locomotive about 2 km from the Polish border. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that recent events demonstrate a threat from Russia to the security of all of Europe, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland plans to accelerate traffic flow at the border with Ukraine to prevent vehicle build-ups that could become targets.
Background
On the night of September 13, a Russian attack damaged a fuel station near the Yahodyn border crossing point on the border with Poland, as well as a locomotive near the Polish frontier. Ukrzaliznytsia did not rule out that the drone may have been targeting a train carrying foreign guests that had recently left Ukrainian territory by that route. Separately, Poland's broader "East Shield" (Tarcza Wschód) project envisions 700 km of fortifications, detection and warning systems, forward bases, logistics hubs, and counter-drone systems along the borders with Russia and Belarus by 2028, at a cost of 10 billion zloty (over $2.5 billion). Former Polish Defense Minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz said Russia is using air strikes near the Polish-Ukrainian border to intimidate Poles and weaken support for Ukraine, and warned that new provocations could occur on Polish territory, including "under a foreign flag."