OMM Newsroom
Poland plans to authorize railway guards to disable drones that threaten railway infrastructure under a draft bill published by the government on Friday. The proposal would also permit the use of firearms in some cases, AnewZ reports.
The draft amendment to the Railway Transport Act, prepared by the Ministry of Infrastructure, would expand the powers of the Railway Protection Service (SOK). It comes amid efforts to strengthen security following acts of sabotage on the Warsaw rail network and concerns about possible Russian hybrid operations targeting critical infrastructure.
Under the proposal, SOK officers could use equipment capable of destroying or disabling drones. The circumstances in which firearms may be used against unmanned aerial vehicles, as set out in aviation law, would also be expanded.
The bill would also authorize guards to record their interventions and pursue suspects onto private property.
The government said the changes are intended to align guards’ powers with “modern threats” and strengthen protection of the railway network, which is considered critical infrastructure.
Sabotage on the Warsaw-Lublin line
The proposal follows acts of sabotage on the Warsaw-Lublin line last November. Near the village of Mika, explosives damaged part of the track. Near Pulawy, above-ground infrastructure was damaged and a metal clamp was placed on the track. Authorities said the actions were an attempt to derail a train.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the attacks were carried out by two Ukrainian nationals working with Russian intelligence. He described the incidents as among the most serious acts of sabotage in Poland since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Growing concerns over drones
Concerns have also grown over drone activity near sensitive sites. A parliamentary inquiry in July referred to drone flights near railway facilities and raised questions about the powers available to police and other services to counter unmanned aircraft around strategically important infrastructure.
