NATO vows more support after Russian strikes near Poland border

Warsaw,UPDATED: Sep 14, 2026 18:42 IST

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Monday that Russian drone strikes near the Ukraine-Poland border would only lead the alliance to step up support for Kyiv, while Poland said it was increasing security along its frontier after the attacks. Rutte said the strikes showed "Putin's desperation" and accused Russia of trying to spread fear near NATO territory.

The developments came amid fresh warnings from Polish leaders that Russia could intensify attacks near Ukraine's borders with European countries, raising the risk of spillover into NATO territory. The European Union also said the strikes were meant to frighten Western countries, while the Kremlin said Russian forces would continue operating across all of Ukraine.

Speaking at NATO's political headquarters in Brussels, Rutte said, "The strikes yesterday on trains in Ukraine close to NATO territory again show Putin's desperation and also his desire to sow fear and terror." He added, "Russia is growing increasingly reckless as it continues its terrible war against Ukraine." Rutte said NATO would increase support for Ukraine and strengthen the 32-member alliance's own defences along its long eastern border with Russia. Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, "He thinks that he can stop us from supporting Ukraine and that he can undermine our unity. He is wrong."

Rutte's remarks came after Poland said it would tighten security along its border with Ukraine following a wave of Russian drone strikes near the frontier, including two that landed within kilometres of Polish territory. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday that Moscow appeared ready to intensify its campaign near Ukraine's borders with European countries. Ukraine is facing growing pressure from Russia's air campaign, which uses ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to break through defences.

After a government security briefing in Warsaw on Sunday, Tusk said, "These coming weeks and months will be a time of very intensified actions on the Russian side, and unfortunately we cannot rule out that this escalation will also affect our territory." He had issued a similar warning on Thursday. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday in a post on X that the Polish army had recovered what was believed to be a Russian military drone from the Baltic Sea near the coastal village of Jaroslawiec.

Polish officials said intelligence reports, including a CIA briefing last week, suggested Russia was likely to attack border points and step up sabotage inside European countries as part of efforts to discourage support for Ukraine. Tusk said he would consult NATO allies on preparing a possible joint response. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, in a social media post, said that in the event of Russian aggression against NATO, European NATO air forces, even without US participation, would be able to destroy half of Russia's oil refineries faster than Ukraine.

Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk described Sunday's drone strikes as a serious escalation by Russia. He told broadcaster TVN24 on Monday that any spillover into European countries could come in the form of sabotage or a sharp rise in hybrid warfare "on a scale that we have not seen before", or other actions along NATO's borders.

The warnings followed a strike on Sunday on a train near the Ukraine-Poland border, minutes after a diplomatic delegation that included former British prime minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt had passed through the same station, according to Ukraine's state rail operator. A second strike hit near another border crossing point between Poland and Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday that the drone attacks near Poland's border were "clearly meant to scare Western countries from supporting Ukraine" and added, "We should show that we are there for Ukraine and we are not scared."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked on Monday about the strike on the train near the Polish border, said Russian forces were operating "across the entire territory of Ukraine and continues to do so - and will continue to do so". He said "any country can use its influence on the Kyiv regime to encourage it to show greater flexibility" and noted the possible role of Global South countries in a settlement. Peskov said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had each expressed willingness during recent meetings with Putin to help broker a settlement after being briefed on the situation in Ukraine. He also welcomed US President Donald Trump's call for Ukraine to stop striking Russian diesel fuel facilities, saying that "any call on the Kyiv regime to stop strikes on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed". Trump said on Sunday that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should stop attacks on Russian oil refineries and other diesel production and distribution infrastructure, saying the strikes were causing a global shortage, after US diesel prices hit a record on Friday and rose above an average of USD 6 per gallon.

Overall, the statements from NATO, Poland, the EU and the Kremlin followed Russian strikes near the Poland border that sharpened fears of further escalation, even as NATO said the attacks would strengthen, not weaken, support for Ukraine.

With PTI Inputs

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