NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced further assistance for Ukraine following unmanned aerial vehicle attacks by Russia near the Polish border. On Monday, Rutte affirmed that the 32-member alliance would continue supporting Ukraine against Russia and would reinforce its defensive capabilities along the eastern flank bordering Russian territory.
Remarks from the NATO chief followed Poland's announcement of heightened border measures along its frontier with Ukraine. Drone attacks attributed to Russia struck a railway near the Ukraine-Poland border on Sunday, with a separate incident reported close to another crossing point.
The attack on the train occurred shortly after a diplomatic group that included former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had travelled through the station, Ukraine's state rail operator reported. Speaking at the alliance's Brussels headquarters, Rutte said the attacks on Ukrainian trains near NATO territory reflected an escalating pattern of recklessness in Russia's ongoing military campaign against Ukraine.
Separately, Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Monday that the country's armed forces had retrieved what was assessed to be a Russian military drone from the Baltic Sea, near the coastal village of Jaroslawiec.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, described the strikes near the Polish border as an attempt to deter Western nations from continuing their support for Ukraine, and called on partner countries to demonstrate their commitment. Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian forces were conducting operations across all Ukrainian territory and would maintain that posture.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Sunday, following a security briefing in Warsaw, that Russia appeared likely to increase its military activity near Ukraine's western borders in the coming weeks and months, and that such an escalation could potentially extend to Polish territory. According to Polish officials, intelligence assessments — among them a CIA briefing — point to a likelihood of Russian-directed strikes on border crossings and an escalation of covert disruption activities within European nations, aimed at deterring those countries from providing continued assistance to Ukraine. Tusk indicated he would seek input from NATO partners on developing a possible coordinated response.
Trump announced that both Ukraine and Russia had committed to refraining from targeting each other's energy infrastructure, with Kyiv specifically pledging to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities. Trump posted on social media that Russia had committed to taking the same action. No verification of the assertion has come from either party.
Two cargo ships in the Black Sea were struck on Monday, according to Interfax. Local authorities reported that two people were struck in separate incidents in Russia's Belgorod region, near the Ukrainian border, leaving one dead and the other with injuries.
Zelenskyy described a potential infrastructure de-escalation measure as an opening move toward ending the conflict. Kyiv has indicated a willingness to suspend cross-border attacks provided partner nations can guarantee that Moscow will cease targeting Ukrainian power infrastructure, supply networks, and food distribution routes. Moscow has maintained that any cessation of hostilities depends on Kyiv ceding territory and reducing its armed forces.
