Tusk warns Russia may fake drone accidents in Europe to test NATO

Warsaw,UPDATED: Sep 18, 2026 04:56 IST

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that Russia could stage hybrid attacks with drones or rockets on European countries backing Ukraine, including Poland, and then present them as accidents to test NATO's response. He said the aim would be to undermine the alliance's willingness to come to the defence of a member state that comes under attack.

Speaking in parliament in Warsaw, Tusk said there was a "real risk" of drones or other projectiles entering the territory of countries on NATO's eastern flank and causing damage. He also said Russia was increasing attacks on routes and border crossings used to supply Ukraine, at a time when Moscow was not ready for peace talks "without the total capitulation of Ukraine."

Tusk said Russia would pretend the attacks were "accidental" in order to "paralyze or at least weaken the motivation of NATO countries" to rush to the defence of the member state under attack. "There is a real risk that drones or other types of projectiles will enter the territory of one or several countries on the eastern flank and even cause destruction," he said. "The official narration will be that it's an accident and there is no reason for NATO to think about a response," he added. He said Russia had become more dangerous because it was increasingly using jet-powered drones, which fly higher and faster and are harder for air defence systems to detect before they reach their targets.

Tusk said he had for months been warning that Russia might be preparing a more serious hybrid attack against a NATO country, and that his warnings had become more specific as he received intelligence from NATO, Ukrainian and US agencies, including the CIA. He said Russia was now focusing on attacking border crossings between Ukraine and its European neighbours to disrupt supply lines. According to him, four such incidents took place on Poland's border with Ukraine in the past week, while several others were reported in recent weeks on Ukraine's border with Moldova.

On peace talks, Tusk said Russia was not ready for negotiations "without the total capitulation of Ukraine." "They are convinced the winter will be tragically critical for Ukraine," he said. He said Poland had stepped in with supplies last winter when Ukraine's energy infrastructure was being attacked, but if border crossings were destroyed it would be much harder for Warsaw to provide such help this coming winter. "Russia's goal is to destroy as much as possible the economy and logistics of Ukraine," he said, adding that intelligence pointed to continuing attacks of "very high frequency and intensity" on six main Ukrainian cities in the near future.

Tusk also said he would travel to Ukraine overnight into Friday, in what could be seen as an act of defiance after European leaders narrowly escaped a drone strike on a train near the Polish-Ukrainian border on Sunday. Officials usually keep travel plans to Ukraine secret for security reasons. He said that in Kyiv he would discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy how to defend against the new types of drones, and would also speak with partners, including Slovakia, about further sanctions against Russia.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that "major progress is being made toward establishing a US Army base in Poland" after a US delegation visited several possible sites in Poland last week. "If this happens, the location will be announced very soon," Trump wrote. "This will be a historic step for our Great US/Polish Alliance." Poland has for years sought a permanent US base as a strong security guarantee in the face of what it sees as a growing Russian threat. Poland's high defence spending and large US arms purchases have pushed the Trump administration to consider a permanent base even as it reorganises and reduces its overall military presence in Europe. In May, the US unexpectedly withdrew troops from the roughly 10,000 stationed in Poland, causing confusion among European allies and concern in Warsaw, but officials in both countries later said the move was temporary and Poland was not expected to lose out because of the reorganisation.

Tusk's remarks brought together warnings about possible Russian hybrid attacks on NATO territory, concerns over strikes on Ukraine's supply routes ahead of winter, his planned talks in Kyiv, and Poland's parallel efforts to strengthen security ties with the United States.

With PTI Inputs

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