Russia's hybrid warfare rattles Poland and NATO

"MIKA and WARSAW, Poland The hike to the site of what local authorities believe to be Russia's latest act of rail sabotage on Polish soil leads police officer Piotr Pokorski trudging through a couple of feet of snow across a stark white farm field, through a thatch of dead cattails and across a frozen creek before he pauses underneath an embankment. "The explosion happened here," he says, pointing to a small section of railroad track that catches the frozen sunlight, reflecting a bronze-colored sheen from a recent"

"Thousands of people ride on passenger trains along this line every day, and so does military aid traveling from Warsaw to Ukraine. Shortly after the November attack, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the country's security services identified two Ukrainian suspects believed to be hired by Russia, but he said they escaped to neighboring Belarus immediately after the attack. The Kremlin denied any involvement."

"Whether it's shutting down airports with drones, cyberattacks, or sabotaging infrastructure, Russia's hybrid warfare against Europe has increased sharply since the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. Military experts say Russia is operating in a gray zone to undermine support for Ukraine, and the attacks are becoming more dangerous. Poland Internal Security Agency spokesman Jacek Dobrzynski says the suspects in the November attack chose their target carefully."

Polish authorities investigated a November explosion that damaged a section of railroad track, narrowly avoiding a train derailment and injuries. A train engineer discovered the damage and reported it. Thousands of passengers and military aid use the line between Warsaw and Ukraine. Poland's security services identified two Ukrainian suspects alleged to have been hired by Russia who reportedly fled to Belarus; the Kremlin denied involvement. Russia's hybrid warfare against Europe has increased since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including drone strikes, cyberattacks and infrastructure sabotage. Officials say the target was chosen near a viaduct before a curve where destruction could have caused dozens of deaths, and Polish officials view the incident as a test of responses.

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