Poland reinforces border with Ukraine amid growing security concerns across Europe

By Alina Porkhovnik, Kosta Gak, CNN

(CNN) — Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced Tuesday that the country is reinforcing security at its border with Ukraine after Russian drone strikes near crossings heightened concerns among NATO allies.

“Recent days show that ‌Russia’s actions ⁠threaten the security of all of Europe. In accordance with our government’s decision, the infrastructure used by the Border Guard is being strengthened,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X following the two weekend strikes, one of which hit a train as a group of former Western officials were traveling in the area.

“Soldiers of the 18th Engineer Regiment are ‌already carrying out tasks, thanks to which the checkpoints and infrastructure near the Polish-Ukrainian border will ⁠be reinforced.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense on Tuesday confirmed two strikes near the Polish border, claiming the train had been transporting military cargo.

Earlier Tuesday, military officials in Lithuania, another NATO member, said a drone had been shot down in the country’s airspace for the first time.

The drone was equipped with an explosive device, which was neutralized by bomb disposal experts, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense. An investigation is ongoing to determine the origin of the drone, the ministry told CNN.

Italy’s defense minister, Guido Crosetto, said an Italian NATO fighter jet shot down the drone, adding that it “most probably came from Russia.” The Italian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it was the second incident involving the country’s fighter jets in the space of a month.

“It is also because of incidents like this that the presence of our military on the Eastern Flank is crucial for ensuring communitarian security,” Crosetto said.

Also on Tuesday, the Danish Armed Forces said a Danish military helicopter was targeted by a Russian warship, which fired two emergency flares while the helicopter was taking routine photographs of the vessel in international waters on Monday.

Following the incident, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha expressed support for Denmark “in the wake of Russia’s provocative and unacceptable action.”

“Moscow continues its attempts to destabilize Europe, not just Denmark,” he added in a post on X, calling for joint and decisive action to protect Europe from Russian threats.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday that strikes close to NATO territory reflected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” and his desire “to sow fear and terror.”

Rutte has pledged to bolster the 32-nation alliance’s defenses along its border with Russia and its close ally Belarus.

Meanwhile, the United States appears to be working to stop Ukraine and Russia from hitting each other’s energy targets amid concerns over the global spike in fuel prices. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the countries agreed to halt energy-related attacks, but both his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and the Kremlin later described it as a proposal rather than a firm agreement.

Ukraine has been hammering Russian fuel infrastructure for months, severely reducing Moscow’s refining capacity and triggering widespread supply shortages. In response, Russia has banned the foreign sale of its diesel.

“There is now a strong US proposal for a mutual halt to strikes on critical infrastructure,” Zelensky said on Monday night. “If this can become the first de-escalatory step – a step toward ending Russian strikes on our critical infrastructure and our strikes in response – then Ukraine is ready to support de-escalation.”

CNN’s Lauren Kent and Stefano Pozzebon contributed to this report

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