Poland will close its borders with Belarus, including railway crossings, at 12:00 AM on Friday, September 12th, announced Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The decision stems from the commencement of joint Russia-Belarus "Zapad-2025" strategic exercises on the Belarusian side of the border, which Tusk described as "very aggressive from a military doctrine perspective." Prime Minister Tusk stated that the exercises, beginning Friday very close to the Polish border, will have consequences, including maneuvers on Poland's side by Polish military and allied forces in response. This border closure and heightened military posture come amidst ongoing reports of conflict in the region. Separately, a video of a missile strike on the Topaz factory in Donetsk, with coordinates provided as 48.0263372, 37.7515273, was shared on social media. This follows earlier reports from this morning concerning a Russian strike in Yarova, Donetsk region, which killed at least 21 people and wounded 21 others, according to the regional administration. Previous reports also detailed the shutdown of two Russian pipeline pipes in Penza and unspecified "arrival" activity in Donetsk. In related security developments, Ukrainian military intelligence successfully destroyed two Russian radar systems in Crimea overnight. Additionally, German company Rheinmetall announced a contract to supply Ukraine with Skyranger anti-aircraft defense systems by the end of 2025. A fire was also reported at an oil depot in Prokhorovka, Belgorod region, following a suspected drone strike.
