Vladimir Putin has been accused of planning acts of “air terror” against airlines worldwide, amid mounting concerns over Russia’s aggressive tactics against the West.
During Donald Tusk’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw today, the Polish leader accused Moscow of orchestrating sabotage and diversion on Polish soil and beyond.
“All I can say, and I will not go into details, but I can confirm the validity of these fears, is that Russia has been planning acts of air terror, and not only against Poland, but against airlines all over the world,” Tusk told reporters.
In November, defence experts warned that Europe was “totally unprepared” to counter threats including sabotage, arson, assassination and attacks on infrastructure.
During Tusk’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Warsaw today, the Polish leader accused Moscow of orchestrating sabotage and diversion on Polish soil and beyond
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A former senior European official suggested more hybrid attacks could unfold following America’s decision to permit long-range ATACMS missile use against Russian targets.
Recent evidence appears to support Tusk’s concerns, with Russia being accused of shooting down an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft over its territory just weeks ago, resulting in a crash landing in Kazakhstan that killed 83 people, although government sources indicated they did not believe the incident was intentional.
A Joint Investigation Team concluded that a Russian missile from the Russian 53rd Anti-aircraft Brigade was responsible for the attack.
The device burst into flames at a warehouse and, although no injuries were reported, investigators believe the consequences could have been far more severe had it ignited during flight.
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Two incendiary devices had been shipped via a DHL logistics centre on July 22, which targeted both Birmingham and Leipzig in Germany, resulting in a fire.
Russia has been accused of deploying various hybrid warfare tactics to destabilise the West and its allies since the Ukraine war began, including allegedly “weaponising mass migration” along its western border and sabotaging Nord Stream pipelines that supply Europe with gas.
A particularly concerning incident occurred in November when crucial underseas telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged.
A 135-mile internet link between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island was disrupted, followed by a 745-mile cable between Helsinki and Rostock going offline.
Finland and Germany issued a joint statement suggesting intentional damage, with European ministers later formally blaming Russia.
“We must move forward together with Poland. We are neighbours, and Russia is the main threat,” Zelenskyy said
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During the Warsaw meeting, Tusk pledged to use Poland’s EU presidency to accelerate Ukraine’s membership quest.
“We will break the standstill we have in this issue,” Tusk declared alongside Zelensky. “We will accelerate the accession process.”
The meeting followed a breakthrough agreement allowing Ukraine to begin exhumations of Polish victims from World War II-era massacres, addressing a longstanding source of tension.
“We must move forward together with Poland. We are neighbours, and Russia is the main threat,” Zelensky said.