NATO chief pledges support after Russian drone strikes near Polish border; Trump claims Ukraine-Russia energy agreement

Russian drone strikes hit targets near Ukraine's border with Poland on Sunday, including a train minutes after European diplomats departed a security conference in Kyiv. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte pledged additional support for Ukraine and said the alliance would strengthen eastern defenses, while Polish officials warned of potential escalation. Separately, US President Donald Trump announced Monday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure—a claim neither Kyiv nor Moscow immediately confirmed.

The drone strikes occurred near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing on Sunday. According to Ukraine's state rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia, one strike hit a train minutes after a diplomatic delegation that included former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had passed through the station. A second strike hit near another crossing point. Ukrzaliznytsia stated it was 'highly probable' that the Russian drone's intended target was the diplomatic train, which had departed ahead of schedule. No casualties were reported. A separate strike hit a truck less than one kilometer from Polish territory, temporarily closing the crossing.

Rutte said at NATO's Brussels headquarters that the strikes showed 'Putin's desperation' and his desire to 'sow fear and terror,' characterizing Russia as 'growing increasingly reckless.' He pledged that the 32-nation alliance would not be deterred from backing Ukraine and would strengthen defenses along its eastern border with Russia. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated the attacks were 'clearly meant to scare Western countries from supporting Ukraine' and called for continued Western support.

Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Polish army recovered what was believed to be a Russian military drone from the Baltic Sea near the village of Jaroslawiec. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Moscow appeared poised to intensify its campaign targeting Ukraine's western borders, stating that 'these coming weeks and months will be a time of very intensified actions on the Russian side' and that escalation affecting Polish territory 'cannot be ruled out.' Polish officials cited intelligence reports, including a CIA briefing, suggesting Russia plans to attack border points and intensify sabotage inside European countries.

US President Trump stated Sunday that Ukraine must 'stop knocking out diesel fuel' refineries in Russia, saying such strikes were causing fuel shortages and 'hurting the world.' He said he had spoken to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy about the matter. The average nationwide US diesel price stood at $6.23 per gallon Monday morning, the highest on record according to AAA. Trump attributed global diesel price rises primarily to the Russia-Ukraine war rather than the US-Iran conflict.

On Monday, Trump announced via social media that 'Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise!' He repeated his assertion that diesel price rises stem mainly from the Russia-Ukraine war. However, neither Ukraine nor Russia immediately confirmed such an agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Trump's call on Ukraine to halt strikes on energy facilities but attributed global energy market worsening mainly to 'instability and new rounds of escalation in the Persian Gulf region.'

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy suggested Monday that halting mutual strikes on critical infrastructure could be 'a first step towards peace,' saying Ukraine was ready to halt strikes if partners ensured Moscow would refrain from hitting Ukrainian energy facilities, infrastructure, and food supply routes. The Kremlin has previously insisted that Ukraine must hand over territory and demilitarize before halting attacks. According to Deutsche Welle, Ukraine is calling for a de-escalation focused on energy infrastructure and unblocking grain exports via the Black Sea as a potential first step toward negotiations.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv in early September to revive trilateral talks under US mediation. Kushner stated on September 12 that Putin 'laid out his line of what he wants to achieve' regarding territory control, confirming that Putin demands more territory than Russia currently controls, while Ukraine does not want to withdraw to that line. The last round of trilateral talks occurred in January-February 2026 in Abu Dhabi and Geneva without breakthrough. Ukraine and Russia have signaled readiness for new talks in October.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated at the Yalta European Strategy conference that if Russia attacked NATO, Poland would defeat Russia 'quite quickly' due to NATO's 'overwhelming superiority' in air power, even without US support. He said Poland could eliminate half of Russia's refining capacity in weeks, contrasting with Ukraine's six-month effort. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Sikorski of 'Russophobia of the brain.' Kremlin spokesman Peskov dismissed claims of Russian plans to attack NATO as 'scare stories' with 'nothing to do with reality.'

Johnson wrote on social media that the drone attack was 'random and senseless,' questioning Putin's 'warped logic' and stating that Ukraine's railway workers and passengers 'are absolutely heroic.' He called for air defenses and unfreezing of Putin's assets to give to Ukraine. Bildt posted a video of the attack and confirmed the diplomatic train had evacuated safely. Ukrainian railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said it 'constantly adjusts train schedules' to guard against strikes.

Where sources differ

• Trump claims Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt energy infrastructure strikes; neither Ukraine nor Russia immediately confirmed this agreement (Al Jazeera, Arab News, New York Post, Deutsche Welle report no confirmation; Straits Times reports only Kremlin welcoming Trump's call, not confirming any agreement).
• Arab News states the war is described as 'the Iran war' in one instance ('seventh month of the Iran war'), which appears inconsistent with reporting the Russia-Ukraine conflict; other sources consistently refer to the Russia-Ukraine war.
• Deutsche Welle reports that 'neither Ukraine nor Russia immediately confirmed the reported agreement,' while Arab News and New York Post state there was 'no immediate confirmation' or 'no immediate response'—all indicating absence of confirmation, though Deutsche Welle adds Trump's claim on his platform while others note the lack of confirmation from both sides.

• Whether any formal written agreement on energy infrastructure strikes exists or the precise terms and scope of any such understanding between Ukraine and Russia remain unestablished.
• Specific details of Poland's security preparations in response to the strikes and warnings are not provided beyond general statements of increased border security.
• The exact circumstances and timing of Russian drone targeting decisions—whether the diplomatic train was specifically targeted or whether strikes on infrastructure occurred according to broader patterns—remain uncertain despite Ukrainian claims.
• Russia's stated military objectives for the border-region strikes beyond the Defense Ministry's general reference to 'infrastructure facilitating military cargoes' are not detailed.
• Whether the reported CIA briefing to Polish officials about Russian sabotage plans included specific timelines, targets, or methods is not established.
• Direct statements from Russia's Defense Ministry responding to the allegations that diplomatic trains were targeted are not included in the sources.
• Verification of Trump's assertion that he had 'a great conversation' with Putin or details of that conversation are not provided in the sources.
• The specific content of recent Russian military demands beyond territorial claims is not detailed in the sources.

1. Al Jazeera English — original — by Al Jazeera Staff
2. Arab News — by AFP
3. New York Post — by Samuel Chamberlain
4. Deutsche Welle — by Grzegorz Szymanowski
5. The Straits Times — by The Straits Times
6. The Independent — by Maira Butt
7. NPR News — by The Associated Press
8. The Jerusalem Post — by REUTERS

Read the original at Al Jazeera English

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