“The adversary has started preparations for war. It is building a certain environment that is supposed to undermine society’s trust in the government, in basic institutions such as the armed forces, the police, and lead to the creation of conditions favorable for potential aggression on the territory of Poland,” Wiesław Kukuła commented on a series of cyber attacks and sabotage in his country.
Of all the actions, Warsaw suspects Russia, which has been conducting an open invasion of Ukraine for the fourth year.
The suspicion also applies to Sunday’s explosion, which damaged the railway line between Warsaw and Lublin in eastern Poland. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday – a few hours after the publication of the interview with Kukuła – that it was an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sybiha also mentioned that the explosion could be another Russian hybrid attack designed to “test reactions”, reports The Kyiv Independent website.
When asked whether he sees the situation as 1939 or 1981, Kukula replied to the Polish daily Rzecpospolita: “It all depends on whether we can scare off the enemy or, on the contrary, encourage aggression.”
“It is about managing and building a so-called effective deterrence policy, which is largely based on our defense capabilities, but also on the attitude of citizens,” added the general.
He also emphasized that any attack on NATO countries would be “a big risk for the potential aggressor, i.e. the Russian Federation.” And it will meet with a strong reaction.
Poland, through which the main routes leading to the flow of aid to Ukraine from Europe, has faced a number of sabotages in recent weeks. Even the railway between Warsaw and Lublin, where the explosion took place, is used for deliveries to Kyiv.
Similar acts of sabotage also occur in neighboring Lithuania or Germany.
