Poland Readies Defenses After U.S. Warnings of Possible Russian Provocation

Polish officials said the country is preparing for various situations after media reports cited U.S. intelligence about a possible Russian provocation. Officials described the coming months as potentially critical due to changes in the conflict. Polish news outlet Onet reported that sources close to the president had said the U.S. had issued several warnings to Warsaw about a plot to attack the country.

The White House and U.S. State Department did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment.

Under the purported plans, also published by the Telegraph in the UK on Friday, Polish infrastructure could be targeted by missiles or drones, or soldiers could be sent into the NATO state. The reports suggest the aim would be to place pressure on Ukraine's western allies to suspend aid to the country as it continues to fight against Russia's full-scale invasion, launched in 2022.

Baltic states have previously acknowledged concerns over their vulnerability to a Russian attack. Latvian media reported in June that its intelligence services had warned Moscow was planning military provocations in the region, or in Poland. Lithuania's ambassador to NATO said on Thursday that Russia was more likely to resort to hybrid warfare than a conventional military attack, according to the country's public service broadcaster LRT.