A deliberate railway sabotage near Życzyn on the Warsaw‑Lublin line on 16 November prompted Prime Minister Donald Tusk to label it an unprecedented act aimed at Poland’s security, while General Roman Polko highlighted the need to neutralise threats at their source.
Sabotage on the Warsaw‑Lublin Line
On the morning of 16 November, before 8 a.m., the locomotive engineer of one of the trains operating along the Warsaw‑Lublin route reported irregularities in the railway infrastructure. While proceeding, he observed a tear in the rail and stopped immediately before it.
The incident occurred near the village of Życzyn in Garwolin County, close to the PKP Mika station. At the time, the train carried two passengers and several crew members, none of whom suffered injuries.
County officials reported that an explosion had been heard earlier in the region. Within hours, internet discussions and media reports began suggesting that the rails had been deliberately damaged by detonation of an explosive charge.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, posting on social media on Monday, stated that “the worst hypothesis has been confirmed” and that the event constituted “an unprecedented act of sabotage aimed at the security of the Polish state and its citizens.” He added that “the blast of an explosive charge destroyed the railway. On-site, services and the prosecutor’s office are working. The same line, closer to Lublin, also suffered damage.” The investigation is ongoing.
General Roman Polko on Neutralising Threats
When asked whether the location of the sabotage held strategic significance, General Polko emphasised that the site itself is not key; the objective of such acts is primarily psychological, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. He noted that the incident and the potential for catastrophe shape a sense of security, as critical infrastructure – including many “soft targets” – cannot be 100 % secured, even with extensive monitoring systems.
Polko stated, “Not everything can be protected. We cannot safeguard thousands of kilometres of railway lines even with sophisticated electronic systems. The key is not to fight the effects but to neutralise the threat at its source.” He argued that the most effective way to reduce risk is to force Russia to focus its efforts on fighting within its own territory. He cited the simultaneous conduct of war against Ukraine and the West by Putin, and noted that if the United States supplied Ukraine with Tomahawks, Ukrainian forces could strike drone‑manufacturing plants, thereby automatically reducing the threat to Poland. “By supporting Ukraine we help ourselves, because the potential of Russia is neutralised – that is the most effective form of defence,” he added.
Hybrid Warfare and the Threat to Poland
Polko reminded that Russia is waging a hybrid war against Poland, initiating with a fabricated migration corridor and extending to GPS interference, fires, and infringements of airspace. He stressed that war on Poland’s western border is also our war.
Polko warned that Russia will not try to breach Poland’s borders with armored divisions, but will operate in cyberspace, the information sphere, and through acts of sabotage, aiming to erode trust in the state and generate an impression of chaos and fear. He urged a shift from purely defensive measures to decisive counter‑actions in cyberspace and information operations, observing that until strategy changes, escalation will persist and fear fuels aggression.
The former GROM commander concluded that this sabotage act exemplifies Russian actions that remain below the threshold of war.