Section of railway track damaged near Warsaw, Polish PM Tusk confirms sabotage

Local media reported the presence of the Internal Security Agency (ABW) at the scene. A fire unit specializing in chemical inspections also examined the site, likely checking for explosives, notes political science PhD candidate and assistant professor at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Tomasz Pugaczewicz.

Major Polish outlet TVP.Info reports that on Saturday evening, the Mazovian Voivodeship police received a report of an explosion near the location where the damaged rail was later found. However, after an initial inspection, the report was not confirmed.

After making cautious statements throughout the day on Sunday, on Monday Polish officials confirmed that the suspected cause of the blast is indeed sabotage. According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk:

“Unfortunately, the worst suspicions were confirmed. An act of sabotage occurred on the Warsaw-Lublin line (village of Mika). An explosive device detonated and destroyed the railway track. Emergency services and the prosecutor's office are working at the scene. Damage was also reported on the same line, closer to Lublin.”

The prime minister released a video commenting on the incident, saying that the explosion “was most likely intended to blow up the train traveling on the Warsaw–Dęblin route.”

“Blowing up the rail track on the Warsaw-Lublin route is an unprecedented act of sabotage targeting directly the security of the Polish state and its civilians. This route is also crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine. We will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are,” Tusk wrote on X.