Tusk Fears Sharper Russian Strikes on Ukraine's Energy Grid This Winter

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said he expects Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure to intensify in the run-up to winter, and that Warsaw is preparing for a range of possible outcomes.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Warsaw with visiting Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, Tusk said he feared increasingly severe attacks on the network over the coming months. He added that he could only hope such attacks would not extend beyond Ukraine's borders, describing that as a hope rather than a certainty.

Tusk also responded to remarks by US President Donald Trump that Russia and Ukraine were considering halting strikes on each other's infrastructure. He said that suggestion had been undercut almost immediately, and very close to Poland's frontier, pointing to a gas station hit in recent days.

Russia did not immediately comment on Trump's claim. Earlier attempts to broker even a limited ceasefire have repeatedly collapsed within hours, with both sides trading accusations of violations.

Ukraine is under growing pressure from an intensified Russian air campaign that employs ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to penetrate its defences. Poland said earlier in the week that it would step up security along its border with Ukraine after a series of Russian drone strikes near the frontier, including two that came down within kilometres of Polish territory.

Tusk said he would travel through Ukraine later in the day and report back on the condition of the country's energy infrastructure on his return.