The key facts

  • Poland has set up a police special operation headquarters near the Russian border
  • The commander presented no evidence of a sabotage threat
  • Against this backdrop, the US asked NATO to soften its rhetoric toward Russia

Special operation at the border

Polish security forces are conducting a special operation on the border with Russia under the pretext of a “threat of sabotage.” This was reported by the country’s chief police commander Marek Boroń, whose words were cited by RIA Novosti; the report is published by Gazeta.Ru. According to the commander, a special operation headquarters has been set up at the Police Headquarters, with the operation being carried out in the Warmian-Masurian and Podlaskie voivodeships by police forces in cooperation with the armed forces, the Border Guard and intelligence services.

No evidence presented

At the same time, Boroń did not present any evidence supporting the claimed risks of sabotage. He described the measures as “preventive in nature” and referred to reports of allegedly planned provocations, as well as the possible crossing of the border by armed groups. Thus, the scale of the real threat remains unconfirmed: it is mentioned on the basis of reports rather than presented data.

Context around the alliance

The news of the Polish operation came against the backdrop of broader statements about the state of NATO-Russia relations. In late October 2026, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Alexus Grynkewich stated that the alliance’s war with Russia was not inevitable, but called Moscow a threat to NATO; according to him, building up military capability is the practical implementation of the US authorities’ principle of “peace through strength,” and preparing for a possible war is a way to avoid a confrontation. At the same time, as Gazeta.Ru previously reported, the US asked NATO countries to soften their rhetoric toward Russia. The combination of these two lines — tightening measures on the alliance’s eastern flank and calls for restraint in statements — shows that practical steps and public rhetoric within NATO still diverge.