Drone Attack Prompts Poland To Evacuate More Than 600 People From Two Border Crossings With Ukraine Overnight

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This was reported during an emergency meeting at the Polish Government Security Center, attended via video conference by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, by representatives of the Nadbużański Division of the Polish Border Guard, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

According to them, starting at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, vehicle processing was periodically suspended on the Ukrainian side due to the threat of Russian drone attacks. Poland, in response to the situation in Ukraine, also suspended processing at its border crossing points.

Border guards noted that Ukraine had warned for several days in a row about the possible threat of attacks by Russian drones and had asked the Polish side to temporarily suspend processing at certain border crossing points.

Specifically, on September 10, there were three such requests regarding the“Dorohusk-Jagodzin” border crossing and two regarding the“Zosin–Ustyluh” border crossing. On September 11, the Ukrainian side requested once that processing be suspended at the“Dorohusk-Jagodzin” border crossing, and on September 12, twice at the“Dorohusk-Jagodzin” border crossing and twice at the“Zosin–Ustyluh” border crossing. According to Polish border guards, frequent warnings began to arrive following Russian attacks on Ukrainian border crossings on the border with Moldova.

Read also: Poland responds to Russian attacks on western Ukrain

Around 4 a.m. on Sunday, a Russian drone attacked a gas station approximately two kilometers from the“Dorohusk” border crossing. According to Polish border guards, the force of the explosion was such that“the windows in the Border Guard Service building rattled.” An evacuation of the border crossing was immediately ordered. Specifically, 25 Border Guard Service employees, 25 Customs and Tax Administration staff members, and more than 280 other people who were on the border crossing premises were evacuated. Among them were passengers from five buses. Service personnel took shelter in pre-designated shelters, while passengers and other people were led outside the checkpoint.

At approximately the same time, the Polish side received information about an unidentified object moving toward the“Hrebenne–Rava Ruska” checkpoint. A decision to evacuate was also made there. More than 300 people, including over 280 passengers, were evacuated from this border crossing point. Sixty-six employees of the Border Guard Service and the Customs and Tax Administration took shelter in designated safe areas. According to Polish border guards, after consulting with the military, it was determined that the threat of an imminent strike on the“Hrebenne” border crossing had not been confirmed.

At 8:27 a.m., the Polish side recorded another strike on a spur line in Ukraine. According to information received from Ukrainian authorities, a drone struck the locomotive of a freight train consisting of empty tank cars.

According to Polish authorities, following previous incidents at the border, procedures were developed to respond to the threat of drone attacks near border crossing points. In the event of an alert, passenger buses are moved outside the border crossing area, and personnel are directed to shelters. Polish border guards also noted the need to strengthen protection for personnel remaining along the state border, in particular by installing protective structures capable of providing cover while allowing them to monitor the border.

Special attention was paid during the meeting to vehicles transporting hazardous cargo, particularly fuel. As noted, due to long lines at border crossing points, these vehicles could pose an additional danger in the event of an attack.

Read also: Poland will not block opening of EU accession negotiation clusters for Ukraine – Sikorsk

On Sunday, near the“Dorohusk” border crossing, police and border guards had already begun moving vehicles carrying hazardous cargo further away. According to Polish authorities, these measures are intended to minimize risks to people in the event of possible drone attacks near the border.

As reported by Ukrinform, during an emergency meeting, Tusk stated that Poland must be prepared for increased Russian activity in the coming weeks and months, and that it cannot be ruled out that the escalation could also affect Polish territory.

Archive photo: com/zahidnuy

MENAFN13092026000193011044ID1111659265