Ukraine war briefing: Poland’s Tusk heads to Kyiv after warning of Russian strikes on Ukrainian allies

Donald Tusk says Moscow will not enter peace talks without Ukraine’s ‘total capitulation’ and will try to inflict a ‘tragically critical’ winter. What we know on day 1,668

Russia is planning hybrid strikes with drones or rockets on European countries supporting Ukraine , among them Poland according to its prime minister, Donald Tusk. Russia will pretend the attacks are “accidental” in order to “paralyse or at least weaken the motivation of Nato countries” to rush to the defence of the member state coming under attack, Tusk said in a speech to the Polish parliament. “There is a real risk that drones or other types of projectiles will enter the territory of one or several countries on the eastern flank and even cause destruction,” Tusk said, vowing that “if anyone dares to attack us, they will face a resolute response from us and our allies” .

Tusk announced he would travel to Ukraine overnight, arriving on Friday, in what might be seen as an act of defiance against Russia after European leaders were in transit during a drone strike on a train near the Polish-Ukrainian border on Sunday. Officials usually keep their travel plans to Ukraine secret for security reasons. In Kyiv, he said he would discuss with Volodymyr Zelenskyy how to defend against the new types of drones, as well as discuss with partners including Slovakia further sanctions against Russia.

The Slovak ⁠prime minister, Robert ​Fico, ‌also said ‌he would be in Kyiv as he claimed Europe is closer ⁠than ever to a large-scale ⁠war erupting ⁠from ​the war in Ukraine ⁠and politicians must strive for peace. Fico has ‌kept warm relations with Russia while criticising EU and Nato aid to Ukraine, though Slovakia’s arms industry is simultaneously a producer of artillery shells supplied to Kyiv’s forces. On Friday ⁠the European Union will ⁠disburse €3.3bn to ‌Ukraine to buy missiles and drones , Ursula von ⁠der ⁠Leyen, the European Commission president, ​has announced.

Tusk said Russia was not ready for any peace talks “without the total capitulation of Ukraine”. “They are convinced the winter will be tragically critical for Ukraine.” He said last winter Poland stepped in with deliveries when Ukraine’s energy infrastructure came under attack, but if border crossings are destroyed it will be much harder for Warsaw to offer such help this winter. “Russia’s goal is to destroy as much as possible the economy and logistics of Ukraine,” Tusk said, adding that intelligence indicates continuous attacks of “very high frequency and intensity” on six main Ukrainian cities should be expected in the near future.

A drone hit a petrol station near Ukraine’s border with Poland on Thursday, Tusk said separately at a press conference in Warsaw. A spokesperson for the Polish military told TVN24 that air defences were activated on Thursday after a jet-powered drone approached Polish airspace before exploding about 4km (2.5 miles) from the Polish border.