Poland launches massive operation Horizon to combat sabotage

Starting November 21, Poland will launch Operation Horizon, a large-scale initiative to protect critical infrastructure and counter acts of sabotage on Polish territory, involving up to 10,000 military personnel, government officials announced at a joint press conference.

Deputy Prime Minister for National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński, and Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Wiesław Kukula outlined the operation’s scope and objectives, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“This is one of the largest operations,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said, emphasizing that the government is mobilizing forces to safeguard critical infrastructure and support other services in countering sabotage. He noted that a formal submission was prepared for the Prime Minister and will subsequently be forwarded to the President of the Republic of Poland.

General Kukula added that units from various branches of the Armed Forces, including cyber security components, will participate. He stressed the role of civilian vigilance:

“One of our goals will be to engage citizens in more vigilant than usual monitoring of their immediate surroundings and to report to competent authorities any situations that may show signs of sabotage or subversive activity.”

To facilitate public reporting, authorities will launch a mobile application allowing citizens to alert officials to suspicious phenomena linked to sabotage or subversive activity. Military units will also conduct regular patrols of critical facilities and perform aerial surveillance.

Poland has already made its first arrests related to railway sabotage. During a conversation with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that evidence points to Russian involvement and highlighted the use of Telegram for subversive activities.

On the night of November 18, train traffic resumed on two previously damaged railway sections. The Warsaw–Lublin line is strategically crucial for the delivery of aid to Ukraine.

Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór reaffirmed Poland’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, stating that sabotage will not disrupt aid to Kyiv.

By Vafa Guliyeva