WARSAW, Poland — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused Russia of plotting acts of sabotage targeting global airlines, including what he termed "acts of air terror." His comments were made during a press conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tusk emphasized the seriousness of the accusations, stating, "I will not go into details, I can only confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland, but against airlines around the world," as reported by both AP News and VOA News.

The Kremlin has consistently dismissed similar claims from Western leaders as unfounded. However, Western security officials have raised concerns regarding Russian intelligence's involvement in incidents involving incendiary devices on cargo planes bound for North America. Notably, one such device caused a fire at a courier hub in Germany last year.

The Polish government, aligned with the European Union, has labeled these actions as part of a wider hybrid warfare strategy employed by Russia against Poland and other nations supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict sparked by Russia's invasion. Additionally, Poland has accused Russia, along with its ally Belarus, of instigating a migration crisis at the EU's eastern border to sow chaos and discord within the union.

In response to these perceived threats, Polish officials have taken strong measures, including last year's closure of a Russian consulate, as part of efforts to mitigate risks associated with what it regards as acts of sabotage sponsored by Moscow.