Drone attack prompts Poland to evacuate more than 600 people from two border crossings with Ukraine overnight

"More than 600 people were evacuated overnight from the Polish border crossings of “Dorohusk” and “Hrebenne” on the border with Ukraine due to the threat of attacks by Russian drones." Ukrin

Belarusian cousins convicted of supplying Russian weapons industry in Austria

"Two Belarusian cousins were convicted on Aug. 12 by a Vienna court for supplying

manufacturing equipment to Russia's weapons industry in violation of EU sanctions.
The duo were convicted for using an Austria-based business and a network of shell companies to transport metalworking machines and tools into Belarus through third countries, including Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, and Poland.
The smuggled equipment was used to manufacture engines for missiles and fighter jets, the Austrian government said. The smuggled equipment was destined for companies affiliated with the Russian state-owned conglomerate Rostec, according to Austria's Interior Ministry." KI

Russian Missiles Kill Nine in Ukraine, While One Explodes in NATO Member State Poland

"A Russian ballistic missile and drone barrage across

Ukraine overnight killed at least eight civilians, including children, and injured more than 50 others, officials said, and NATO
scrambled its warplanes after one of the missiles crossed the country’s western border into Poland." Breitbart

Zelensky to skip key ‘Ukraine recovery’ event over Nazi-collaborator scandal

"Zelensky

will skip a major gathering of Kiev’s key backers in Poland to keep it free of“scandals,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said. His absence is linked to Kiev’s honoring of Nazi-collaborators who murdered over 100,000 Polish men, women, and children during World War II." RT

Ukraine’s backer blasts Zelensky over tribute to Nazi collaborators

"Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Warsaw’s support for Kiev could become increasingly driven by hard national interests. The criticism follows Zelensky’s move to honor World War II-era Ukrainian nationalist paramilitaries responsible for massacres of Poles and Jews by naming a commando unit after them.
In May, Zelensky decreed that the Special Operations Center North would bear the honorary title ‘Heroes of the UPA,’ referring to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the armed wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).

The OUN sought to establish an ethnically and religiously homogeneous Ukrainian state and collaborated with Nazi Germany during the early stages of the invasion of the Soviet Union. The UPA was formed in 1942 following a split between much of the OUN leadership and the Germans.
Ukrainian nationalists killed an estimated 100,000 Polish civilians in what is now western Ukraine from 1943-44. The massacres remain a major source of tension between Warsaw and Kiev.
President Karol Nawrocki has called for Zelensky to be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, the country’s highest state distinction, highlighting that a nation honoring “bandits and murderers” is not yet fit to join “the European family.”
Earlier in May, the Ukrainian authorities rolled out full state honors for the remains of Andrey Melnik, the leader of the OUN, and his wife, Sofia Fedak-Melnik. Exhumed in Luxembourg, the couple was reburied in Kiev’s main military cemetery. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities announced plans to rebury Evgeny Konovalets, one of the founders of the, whose remains will be transferred from Rotterdam, the Netherlands." RT

Trump thanks Lukashenko after release of foreign political prisoners

"According to the U.S. president, two Moldovan citizens and three Poles, including Andrzej Poczobut, were released. Polish President Karol Nawrocki asked Trump to help secure Poczobut’s release from a Belarusian prison, the U.S. leader said.

“We worked very hard to make this release happen … Today Poczobut is free thanks to our efforts. The United States helps its allies and friends. Thank you to President Alexander Lukashenko for the cooperation and friendship. So nice!” Trump wrote.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held talks in Minsk with a delegation led by U.S. special envoy John Cole. After the meeting, Lukashenko said the United States had proposed a deal to him “on various issues.” It later emerged that Belarus had released 250 political prisoners.
Trump later thanked Lukashenko for releasing more than 500 political prisoners and said he was “looking forward” to meeting him at the Peace Council." msn

Poland investigates suspected Iranian cyberattack day after hackers target US company Stryker

"Polish authorities announced they are investigating whether Iranian hackers are behind the

attempted attack on a major nuclear research facility.
The cyberattack unsuccessfully targeted the National Centre for Nuclear Research, which houses the country's only operating nuclear reactor, officials said. Polish digital minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said that "the first identifications of the entry vectors … are related to Iran,” while cautioning that the signals could be deliberate misdirection to hide the criminals’ true location." msn

NATO scrambles military jets after Russian ballistic missile strikes

"NATO member Poland

deployed military jets in response to Russian long-range missile attacks on Ukraine overnight.
Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said on X at 3:16 a.m. CET: “Due to the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation, which is carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine, military aviation operations have commenced in our airspace." msn

Poland closes airspace after Belarusian balloon incursion

"Polish authorities temporarily closed the airspace along the northern part of Poland's border

with Belarus overnight on Jan. 30-31 after unidentified objects — believed to be Belarusian smuggling balloons — were detected in the region.
The incident, the second such airspace incursion this week, forced a halt to civilian aviation in northeastern Podlaskie Voivodeship region, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said on social media.
European airports have increasingly dealt with airspace alerts involving drones or unidentified objects, prompting temporary shutdowns in cities various European cities." KI

Putin warns NATO against potential blockade

"Any attempt to blockade Russia’s Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast would spark an

“unprecedented escalation” and could expand into a large-scale armed conflict, President Vladimir Putin has warned.
The Russian leader made the remarks during his traditional end-of-year Q&A session when asked how Moscow would respond if European states sought to impose a blockade on the country’s westernmost region, an exclave bordered by NATO members Lithuania and Poland." RT

Ukrainians ‘with spy equipment’ arrested in EU

"Police in Poland have detained three Ukrainian nationals allegedly found in possession of spying and hacking equipment.
The suspects were apprehended during a routine traffic stop in Warsaw, police said in a statement on Monday. The three men claimed they had been “traveling Europe” and had arrived in Poland just a few hours previously, and were next set to drive to Lithuania. Officers saw that the men were agitated and opted to search the vehicle, the statement noted.
“Suspicious items that could even be used to interfere with the country’s strategic information systems” were discovered, police said, adding that the men were in possession of a large number of SIM cards, antennas, laptops, routers, cameras, advanced hacking equipment, and a “spy device detector.” RT

Poland Announces Foreign Spy Plot Busted, Involved Photographing Secretive Facilities

"Poland's National Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday that five individuals have been

charged with working on behalf of a foreign intelligence service, following coordinated arrests which spanned November Tuesday through Wednesday of this week by the Internal Security Agency and police.
Those taken into custody include two Ukrainian nationals - identified only as Oleksandr S. and a minor, Sofia Ch. - and in addition three Belarusian citizens identified as Viktoryia M., Anton M., and Uladzimir U.
The group is accused of targeting the Polish state for espionage purposes, with prosecutors alleging that throughout much of 2024 the team collected information on sensitive locations. "The suspects' activities involved establishing contact with foreign intelligence representatives via Telegram and carrying out assigned tasks, including the creation and transmission of photographic documentation of critical infrastructure facilities and locations crucial to national security," a press release translated from Polish to English read." ZeroHedge

2,200 NATO Troops Amass At Russian Border After Finland Launches ‘Northern Strike’

"Finland

has launched its biggest winter military exercise ever, and it's happening just 100
kilometers from Russia's border. Over 2,200 troops and 500 pieces of military equipment, including cutting-edge Polish rocket launchers, have gathered in the frozen region of Lapland for what's called Northern Strike 225.
This massive military drill represents a dramatic turning point for NATO's readiness in the Arctic, raising serious questions about stability in the region and how Russia will respond. The exercise takes place at the Rovajärvi training ground in early winter conditions, testing artillery systems and command networks in harsh Arctic weather." msn

NATO stages major Mediterranean drills to counter Russian threat

"U.S. and NATO naval forces are conducting large-scale joint exercises off the coast of Italy,

rehearsing possible scenarios for direct confrontation with Russia.
The drills, part of the Neptune Strike exercise series, feature the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and 26 American F‑35 fighter jets.
The participating countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece, Poland, Türkey, and five other NATO members. According to CBS, the forces are training for long-range strike operations along NATO’s eastern flank." NV

Zelensky ready to fight for three more years – Polish PM

"Vladimir Zelensky expects Ukraine to be able to fight Russia for up to three more years,

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has told The Sunday Times. The Ukrainian leader’s reported remark comes as the EU is looking for new ways to fund Kiev, eyeing Russia’s frozen central-bank assets as an option.
In an interview with the British newspaper on Saturday, Tusk quoted Zelensky as saying that “he hopes that the war will not last ten years, but that Ukraine is ready to fight for another two, three years.” Should the conflict with Russia drag on longer, Zelensky is “anxious about the toll the war would take on its population and economy,” the Polish prime minister said." RT

Poland deploys troops to German and Lithuanian borders

"Polish President Karol Nawrocki has ordered troops to the borders with Germany and

Lithuania. Warsaw recently reintroduced border controls, citing a surge in illegal immigration.
All three nations are members of the European Union, which has been grappling with a refugee crisis since at least 2015, largely caused by upheavals in the Middle East and Africa, and later by the Ukraine conflict.
In a resolution released on Friday, Nawrocki said that the measures would take effect on October 5 and last until April 4, 2026.
In July, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz revealed that 700 troops had already been deployed to the country’s Western frontier, with plans to send in up to 5,000 more military personnel to assist border guards." RT

West at war with Russia – Polish PM

"The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is also the West’s war, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said. The most important task for EU leaders is to make people aware of the threat that Russia supposedly poses, he told the Warsaw Security Forum." RT

Poland cuts off cash to idle Ukrainians

"Polish President Karol Nawrocki has signed a bill tightening the rules for Ukrainian refugees receiving state benefits.
While the legislation offers Ukrainians the ability to stay in Poland until at least March 2026, it links their access to benefits, including the monthly “800 plus” zloty child support allowance ($220 or more), to proof of employment for at least one parent and school enrollment for their dependents." RT

EU Leaders Want 'Drone Wall' Protecting Eastern Flank From Russian Incursions

"European Union leaders are mulling a joint "drone wall" to boost Europe's defenses,

according to European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier from Brussels.
He previewed that EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius will participate in meeting representatives of seven frontline EU member states, listed as Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania - as cited in Bloomberg. The Ukrainian government is also expected to send representatives to the meeting." ZH

WW3 Watch: British Fighter Jets Conduct NATO Mission over Poland After Russian Drone Incursion

"British Royal Air Force fighter jets conducted a NATO defense mission over the skies of Poland in response to Russian drone incursions, the Ministry of Defense has disclosed.

Earlier this month, Warsaw claimed that 19 Russian drones entered Polish airspace amid large-scale strikes throughout Ukraine, forcing the NATO ally to scramble its air forces and shoot down Russian drones since the start of the conflict in Eastern Europe. It was followed by Russian drones entering Romanian airspace and this week by three Russian fighters allegedly entering Estonian airspace.
In a show of force, two British Typhoon fighter jets were deployed for a defensive mission across the skies of Poland on Friday evening, the UK’s Ministry of Defense said on Saturday.
The MOD revealed that the two jets, supported by an RAF Voyager aircraft, patrolled Polish airspace to “deter and defend against aerial threats from Russia, including drones” before returning to the UK early Saturday morning." 

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