Just a few months ago, Russia's war was an abstract reality for most people in Europe outside of Ukraine. And when Russian drones violated the airspace of Poland or Romania, the official comments were also strangely reassuring and abstract. Even when a Russian drone hit a block in the Romanian city of Galati in late May 2026, many EU and NATO representatives were slow to accuse Russia of premeditation. There was still talk of hybrid war.
Since the summer of 2026, however, the situation has changed radically - in some countries in Central and Southeastern Europe there have been almost daily drone overflights or explosions. In the regions bordering Ukraine, air raid alarms are increasingly sounding in response to Russian attacks on the attacked country. Airports are increasingly forced to suspend operations or close airspace. Russia is bombing border crossings, infrastructure and trains in the immediate vicinity of the borders of countries neighboring Ukraine. The number of sabotage attacks is also constantly growing.
Especially for the Baltic states, Poland, Moldova and Romania, the war is no longer hybrid, but quite real. And increasingly, leading politicians from these countries are talking about deliberate actions by Russia.
A unique series of "coincidences"
This was especially evident on September 24. Moldova registered four drone flights, two of which exploded on its territory. The country's northern airspace was temporarily closed. In Romania, airspace was violated by two drones, one of which exploded in the northern part of the country. The nearby border crossing with Ukraine was closed, and before that, NATO fighter jets were scrambled due to a Russian attack in Ukraine near the Romanian Danube Delta.
In Poland, NATO fighter jets were also activated twice due to Russian attacks near the border. Two border crossings were evacuated due to Russian drone attacks. On Wednesday evening, September 23, a fire broke out at a "Starlink" ground station 40 km south of Warsaw. Ultimately, the Polish government described the incident as "sabotage."
Also on Wednesday, a Russian MI-8 helicopter violated Polish airspace from the Kaliningrad region. It entered 300 meters inland and remained there for 42 seconds, the Polish army's operational command reported.
"Putin wants to exhaust Europe"
After the incidents, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was very clear. Russia is increasingly perfecting its "disgusting form of pressure" and we must be ready for this, he stressed. "Russia wants to exhaust Ukraine, destroying its industrial and energy infrastructure, but it also wants to exhaust Europe", the Polish Prime Minister said. In connection with the fire at the "Starlink" station, he expressed the assumption that it was deliberate and purposeful.
The comment of Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitalization Krzysztof Gawkowski was even more categorical. "There are many indications that the fire at the Starlink station is another element of hybrid warfare," he said, referring to "sabotage." The attack was intended to disrupt the Ukrainian army's access to the internet. It was not yet clear that Russia was behind the fire, but the scenario was consistent with "the new Russian offensive doctrine."
Moldova negotiates to protect its airspace
Moldova's President Maia Sandu also reacted very sharply on Thursday. She said that the massive Russian attacks on Ukraine "have again reached Moldova," adding that Russia's war threatens all of Europe. At the same time, she stressed her country's support for Ukraine.
The Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grossu, said the same day that negotiations were underway with Romania and Ukraine to find solutions to strengthen the capabilities to protect Moldovan airspace. Moldova can control its airspace, but has almost no capabilities to shoot down drones. No details of the negotiations are available at this time.