Russia is reportedly preparing sabotage-and-reconnaissance groups from Russian and Belarusian special units to infiltrate Polish territory. The main targets could be critical infrastructure in the country, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Poland is a one of the key allies of Ukraine, with military aid passing through its logistic military hubs. If Russia manages to pressure Poland to stop aid, it would weaken the Ukrainian Armed Forces and give occupiers an advantage.
The information is based on reports from Russian media that try to shift responsibility for these potential operations onto Kyiv.
“Kyiv is preparing a staged operation in Poland with sabotage groups supposedly made up of soldiers from Russian and Belarusian special units,” the Russian TASS agency claims.
Kremlin’s propaganda maneuvers
Russia often accuses others of preparing provocations, while frequently planning or carrying out such actions itself. Before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russian propaganda claimed that Ukraine was allegedly planning an attack on Russia.
On 22 February 2022, Russia launched the war, exposing claims of “Ukrainian provocations” as fake.
In general, Russia has repeatedly accused others of provocations it carried out itself:
- War in Donbas – Russia claimed Ukraine shelled civilian sites, while Russia has sought territorial control over two Ukraine’s oblasts for the last 11 years.
- Downing of Boeing MH17 – Russia initially blamed the Ukrainian military, though the missile belonged to Russian forces, the investigation by the Dutch Safety Board and the Joint Investigation Team found.
- Killing of Ukrainian Azovstal POWs in Olenivka prison – Russia blamed HIMARS, while the UN confirmed it was lies.
Psychological warfare against West
“The main goal of drone operations over NATO countries, and of a possible future incursion by Russian sabotage‑and‑reconnaissance groups, is to test the Alliance’s response and to try to influence European societies. They want to frighten people and reduce support for Ukraine. It won’t work,” says Kovalenko.
Russian Intelligence: Poland and Baltic States “first to suffer” in case of war
In April 2025, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Head Sergey Naryshkin accused NATO of escalating military activity near Russia’s borders. He warned that Poland and the Baltic states would be the first to suffer in the event of a war between Moscow and the Alliance.
Speaking in Minsk, he claimed that Poland and the Baltic countries were displaying particular aggressiveness. As an example, he cited Warsaw’s alleged plan to deploy around two million anti-tank mines along its borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast.
Poland under drone and cyber threats
Polish has already faced a threat from Russia. In 2025, it launched massive drone and cyberattacks. On the night of 10 September, about 19 Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Only 3–4 were shot down by air defenses, while the others either entered Polish territory or crashed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that overall, Russia launched 92 drones toward Poland, with 73 out of them were downed by Ukrainian air defenses.
NATO vs. cheap Russian drones: Ukraine proposes joint “air shield”
According to Bild, NATO spent at least €1.2 million to shoot down cheap Russian drones that entered Polish territory. The cost of a single Russian strike drone is only a few thousand euros.
At the same time, Ukraine fights the drones using an air‑defense system that includes mobile firing units moving on vehicles to shoot down targets, EW (electronic‑warfare) systems, helicopters, and aircraft.
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed creating a joint “air shield” to counter Russian drones and missiles.
The initiative envisions pooling resources, production capacity, and weapons so the region becomes better protected from aerial threats.
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