Russian attack near Ukrainian-Polish border – border crossing temporarily closed

Kyiv, Moscow, Berlin. Russia attacked a truck near Ukraine's border with Poland on Sunday. This was announced by Polish and Ukrainian authorities. The Dorohusk-Jahodyn border crossing was temporarily closed after the attack, about 800 meters from Polish territory, a spokesman for the Polish border guard told Reuters. However, operations were later resumed.

According to “Spiegel”, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s foreign policy advisor, Günter Sautter, and other Western diplomats were also affected. Sautter is said to have then taken a night train from Kiev towards Poland on the night of Saturday to Sunday. Western politicians rely on the rail connection from Poland to Ukraine when traveling to Kiev - the airspace over the country is closed.

At around five in the morning, the privately chartered train stopped not far from the Polish border. Parts of the train were evacuated because of the drone strikes in the border region, the report says. In Kiev, Sautter discussed possible peace negotiations with Russia together with security advisors from Great Britain, France and Italy and with the government of President Volodymyr Selenskyj.

On Saturday he took part in the international security conference YES. Everyone came away with a shock. The federal government simply stated that it generally does not provide any information about possible trips by the Chancellor's foreign and security policy advisor.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had attacked infrastructure in western Ukraine that was used for military transport from Europe.

Ukraine relies on trade and arms deliveries across its borders with Poland, Romania and Moldova. In recent weeks, Russia has begun targeting Ukraine's border crossings with its Western allies. This is part of systematic attacks by both sides to weaken Ukraine's economic infrastructure in the fifth year of the invasion.

According to Russia, China and India offered to mediate in the conflict. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made corresponding proposals, the Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in India.