Warsaw/Vinnytsia, July 16 – Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski issued a stark warning on Wednesday, saying that Russia’s war in Ukraine is drawing dangerously close to Poland’s borders, following a targeted Russian drone strike on a Polish-owned factory in Vinnytsia, central Ukraine.
The overnight attack, confirmed by Ukrainian and Polish officials, struck a wood flooring plant operated by Barlinek, a major Polish manufacturer and employer in the region. The facility sustained significant damage, and at least eight people were injured, including two in critical condition with severe burns, according to authorities.
“The criminal war of [Vladimir] Putin is nearing our borders,” Sikorski stated in a message shared on social media, noting that the attack appeared deliberate, launched from three separate directions.
He added that Polish consular services and Ukrainian emergency teams are actively responding to the incident. Sikorski also held a conversation with the factory’s management, expressing solidarity with the victims and condemning the strike.
The drone barrage damaged residential buildings and industrial facilities in Vinnytsia, intensifying fears among NATO countries bordering Ukraine that Russian aggression is escalating beyond military targets and threatening international businesses operating in the region.
Poland, a vocal supporter of Ukraine and a key NATO frontline state, has repeatedly condemned Russian strikes near its borders and has called for greater international action to deter further cross-border threats.
This latest attack is likely to add pressure on the EU and NATO to reassess security risks along the alliance’s eastern flank, as commercial and civilian sites become increasingly entangled in the ongoing conflict.
