Dmitry Bondarenko: Russia Has Crossed All Red Lines
- 10.09.2025, 22:46
The time has come to radically solve the issue of Belarusian dictatorship.
Russian drones this night massively intruded into Polish airspace. Warsaw called it an "unprecedented act of aggression," emphasizing that it was a direct threat to the security of citizens. Polish military and NATO forces shot down some of the drones, the wreckage has already been found in Lublin and Lodz voivodeships.
An assessment of this event, Charter97.org spoke to Dmitry Bondarenko, coordinator of the European Belarus civic campaign:
- This is the most dangerous situation in the relations between Russia, its allied regime in Belarus with NATO and in general with neighboring countries. This has not happened for decades.
Since this morning I have been watching the emergency speeches of the leaders of Poland, the European Union, and NATO representatives related to the overnight attack of Russian drones, including those launched from the territory of Belarus. A number of Polish generals are suggesting that this could be a preparation for an auxiliary Russian offensive in the direction of Lviv to draw Ukrainian troops away from the Donetsk front. Naturally, if this happens, the blow will be struck from the territory of Belarus. This will further aggravate the situation in the region.
Today, the Polish army has been put on high alert. The air defense forces and aviation of Poland, as well as aviation of NATO countries participated in repelling the attack. I think there was also help from allies in terms of intelligence. It is probably too early to call it a full-scale act of aggression. But this is not just a test of Poland's air defense system. It's a test of its armed forces and NATO's readiness for war. Russia has crossed all red lines.
- Can the drone attack be linked to the West-2025 exercise?
- Absolutely. As many experts have pointed out, there are no "exercises" during a war. Any concentration of Russian and Belarusian troops already affects the situation. Ukraine is forced to redeploy forces to the northern direction.
A hybrid war is being waged at the same time: there are threats of a strike on the Suvalka corridor. Yesterday Poland closed the border with Belarus, including railroad communication. Apparently, Polish intelligence had information about Russia's impending actions.
Today, it is clear that such a decision by Warsaw had grounds. Russia is raising the level of pre-war action. A massive aircraft incursion into the territory of a NATO country is already aggression. Putin raises the stakes by using the concentration of troops in Belarus under the guise of exercises. Let me remind you that in 2021 there was the Zapad-2021 exercise, and in February 2022 the invasion of Ukraine began. Then Russian troops "partly stayed, partly left", and that was the preparation for the war.
The situation today is very similar: Russia is again taking aggressive actions not only against Ukraine, but also against Poland - from the territory of Belarus.
- What does this escalation mean for Belarus?
- Our long-standing warnings to Western partners are confirmed. Lukashenko's dictatorial regime, which wages war against its own people, will always be a military threat to its neighbors and peace in the region. Russia's invasion of Ukraine from the territory of Belarus showed this, and today's attack showed it too.
But we see that trade between the EU and Belarus continues, although it has fallen. Many Belarusian goods come under the guise of products from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, from Kyrgyzstan - "legendary Kyrgyz timber" (actually Belarusian). Polish exports of goods to Belarus have not practically decreased. Polish goods still lie on the shelves of Belarusian stores.
The underestimation of the Belarusian dictatorship has already led to the march of Russian tank columns from the Gomel region to Kiev. Today, Russian combat drones attacked Poland, again from Belarusian territory.
Now it is obvious: Lukashenko is a puppet. He is not capable of protecting the Belarusians. The Russians won't even ask him for anything. Belarusians are under military threat. And the strikes will affect not only Russian facilities and troops in Belarus, but also Belarusian military units and key enterprises. If the inadequate Putin orders the strikes, the NATO response will follow without hesitation. The closure of borders has already hit the Belarusians: travel is restricted, trade has suffered. Sanctions against Lukashenko's regime will only intensify.
Lately, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski reminded: Poland has centuries of experience in relations with Russia and knows that its actions are always deadly. Belarus today is a half-occupied country. The time has come to radically solve the problem of the Belarusian dictatorship.
- How, in your opinion, will Poland and NATO respond?
- Today the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen spoke in the European Parliament. She was greeted with a standing ovation. She said that the entire EU is with Poland today and emphasized the need for extraordinary measures - increased aid to Poland and Ukraine, as well as pressure on Russia. Von der Leyen emphasized that the cost of these actions should be borne not by Poland and NATO, but by Russia itself.
I hope that today's events will also change the U.S. approach. After all, the recent decisions of the Pentagon and the administration to stop military aid to Lithuania and Estonia looked, to put it mildly, strange. In fact, it provoked the Kremlin to aggression. Now, however, the situation requires reconsideration. Polish President Karol Nawrocki recently met at the White House with Donald Trump, who called Poland "the most loyal ally." Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski met with Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio in the United States.
An attack on Poland would inevitably trigger a response from Washington. Poland spends 4.7% of GDP on defense and is the most reliable U.S. ally. About 10,000 American soldiers are stationed in the country. The incursion of Russian drones into Poland threatens them as well. Therefore, the reaction will be tough - from NATO as a whole, as well as from Belarus' neighbors. There can be no doubt about that.