Amid escalating tensions between Russia on one side and NATO and the European Union on the other, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Russian foreign intelligence warned of Ukrainian preparations for a dangerous provocation.

In a statement on Tuesday, it said “Kyiv is preparing an operation in Poland involving a sabotage reconnaissance group that will claim its members are from Russia and Belarus,” according to TASS agency.

It did not rule out that the operation would simulate “an attack on critical infrastructure facilities in Poland to cause widespread resonance.”

“Major War”

Furthermore, Russian intelligence considered that Ukraine “will not abandon attempts to draw European NATO countries into an armed confrontation with Moscow.” It said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “is prepared, in the face of inevitable defeat, to bear all harsh consequences under the cover of Europeans even if it costs igniting a major war.”

This came as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier today held Russia responsible for violating its airspace over Estonia and Poland with drones.

Rutte also stressed the need to develop a plan to deal with drones. Ahead of his participation in the security meeting of the European Commissioners in Brussels, he said: “We cannot shoot down a drone with missiles worth millions of dollars.”

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the necessity to respond strongly to Russian drone incursions within EU borders. She announced an agreement with Ukraine to allocate two billion euros for drone development.

Several NATO member states have recently experienced a series of violations of their airspace by Russian planes and drones. These incidents have posed an unprecedented test to the credibility of the defensive military alliance, while Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure facilities.