Cezary Tomczyk
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Poland detains dual Polish-Ukrainian citizen at military academy on espionage suspicion
Poland's Military Gendarmerie detained a 31-year-old dual Polish-Ukrainian citizen, named Vasyl, who was enrolled in a reservist officer training course at the Military Medical Academy in Łódź, on 16 October on suspicion of espionage. A court placed the suspect in three months' temporary arrest. Polish Deputy Minister of National Defence Cezary Tomczyk confirmed the case and indicated possible contact with the Ukrainian side as the investigation continues.
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Poland simplifies rules for shooting down aerial objects from 1 October
From 1 October, Poland is introducing simplified procedures for detecting and shooting down foreign aerial objects in its airspace, replacing mandatory visual identification with positive identification based on radar and other system data. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the new rules were fully ready and being implemented by the armed forces, with no legislative changes required. The change is motivated by the recurring risk of Russian drones and missiles entering Polish airspace during strikes on Ukraine.
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Russian drone strike near Yahodyn border crossing prompts Polish military scramble, airport shutdowns
On 28 September, a Russian reactive drone struck near the Yahodyn international border crossing on the Ukrainian-Polish border in Volyn Oblast. Poland scrambled military aviation, placed air-defence and radar systems on alert, and suspended operations at Rzeszów and Lublin airports. No casualties were reported, but the blast wave damaged the entry-terminal building of the checkpoint, according to the head of the Volyn Oblast Military Administration.
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Poland offers to host Patriot missile production for Ukraine, citing safety of its own territory
Poland has offered to host on its territory the production of interceptor missiles for U.S. Patriot air-defense systems intended for Ukraine, if Washington grants Kyiv the relevant license. The proposal was made by Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Magdalena Sobków-Czarniecka in a TVN24 interview, and was framed as a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's 25 September claim that U.S. President Donald Trump has made a "final decision" to license Ukrainian Patriot production. Poland simultaneously confirmed it is negotiating with the U.S. on a permanent American military base, expected to accommodate around 5,000 troops and their families.
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Russian strike drone falls near Polish border; Poland scrambles jets, shuts airports
On 17 September 2026, a Russian strike drone fell or was destroyed approximately 4 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border on Ukrainian territory in Volyn Oblast, near the Dorohusk–Yahodyn crossing. Poland scrambled fighter jets, put air-defence and radar systems on alert, and temporarily suspended operations at Lublin and Rzeszów airports. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the drone likely hit a petrol station, and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced increased F-16 and helicopter activity in response.
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Russian drones strike Kyiv-Warsaw train and infrastructure near Polish border, prompting Polish emergency meeting
On the morning of September 13, 2026, Russian drones struck infrastructure near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk international border crossing on the Ukraine-Poland border in Volyn Oblast, damaging a gas station, hitting a truck on the Polish side, and striking the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train about two kilometers from the Polish border. Poland scrambled fighter jets, issued air alerts in Lublin and Podkarpackie voivodeships, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting at the Government Centre for Security, warning that Russian escalation could reach Polish territory in the coming weeks. No passengers or railway workers were injured in the locomotive strike after a Ukrzaliznytsia monitoring group warned the crew in advance and gave an evacuation signal roughly 15 minutes before impact.