Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that security forces had thwarted a suspected provocation along the border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave.
What happened
According to Tusk, border guards observed suspicious movements, including individuals with flashlights, near the Polish-Russian border just after midnight. The prime minister stated that security forces were quickly mobilized to prevent a provocation, but it was not possible to confirm with full certainty that the incident was an attempted provocation.
The incident occurred amid intelligence and NATO warnings of possible sabotage, with Tusk citing warnings from US Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, of potential escalation. Poland's national police chief, Gen. Marek Boron, also confirmed that preventive measures were being undertaken in response to threats involving sabotage and hybrid criminal activity.
Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized exclave separated from the rest of Russia, is a flashpoint for diplomatic tensions between Moscow and NATO allies. Russia has warned that any attempt to blockade or strike the territory could trigger nuclear retaliation.
