Poland’s defense minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz traveled to Kyiv on Thursday to deepen cooperation on drone warfare, days after Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace and forced Nato to respond with fighter jets.Kosiniak-Kamysz said Warsaw and Kyiv will sign an agreement on defense cooperation, including the acquisition of new drone capabilities. “We will be signing an agreement concerning cooperation between the (defense) ministries, but also acquiring capabilities when it comes to operating drones,” he said in remarks published on the Polish Ministry of Defense website.The move comes amid heightened concerns across Eastern Europe about the spread of Russia’s war beyond Ukraine. Nato has since announced that it is strengthening its defenses along its eastern flank bordering Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.Moscow, meanwhile, conducted joint military exercises with Belarus, displaying both conventional and nuclear forces in drills that raised alarm in the West.On the battlefield, Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 48 of 75 Russian drones launched overnight, though rail infrastructure was hit again in ongoing strikes. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks on energy and transport infrastructure aim to disrupt supply lines and create internal unrest. Ukraine has also expanded its offensive reach. Officials said two Ukrainian drones struck the Gazprom-owned neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan, more than 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine. The strike caused a fire but no casualties, according to regional governor Radiy Khabirov.Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian refineries in recent months. Analysts say these strikes, combined with seasonal demand, have contributed to fuel shortages inside Russia, undermining revenue from its oil exports—a critical source of funding for the war effort.
