While European Aquatics has declined to respond to SwimSwam’s request for comment on recent disruptions to travel to Lublin, Poland, SwimSwam has obtained a memo sent to certain constituents regarding the upcoming European Championships there.
The memo reads:
“European Aquatics is aware of the recent events in Poland, including the disruption on 17 November 2025 on the Warsaw-Lublin railway line – which local officials have described as a possible act of sabotage – and the temporary closure of Lublin Airport following a security-related incident on 19 November 2025
We would like to reassure all Federations that these matters are being handled promptly and appropriately by the Polish authorities.
We are closely following developments and remain in regular contact with the Polish Swimming Federation, which is liaising directly with local authorities to understand any potential implications for travel or logistics.
At this time, no wider impact is expected. We will share any further verified information with all Federations as soon as it becomes available.”
The memo explicitly avoids mentioning Russia, which Poland blames for both the airport closure and train line explosion.
The Lublin Airport was closed briefly Wednesday after Russian airstrikes in Western Ukraine, a rare foray that deep into the country. That led to the scrambling of NATO fighter jets, and the Lublin airport was closed to allow those fighter jets to operate more freely.
Earlier in the week, there was an explosion on one train, and another incident that forced a packed train to stop suddenly, on the rail line between the capital and largest city Warsaw and Lublin. In addition to people, that line is a key line for delivering aid to Ukraine during its ongoing war with Russia.
Polish officials have said that they believe the rail line explosions were caused by Ukrainians working for Russia.
The Lublin Airport and trains from Warsaw were the two recommended ways for athletes, staff, and coaches to get to Lublin, just 100 miles from the Ukrainian border, for the championship.
European Aquatics has barred Russia from competition since their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine until recently, when a new World Aquatics ruling that their ‘neutral athletes’ program extend to continental competitions changed the EA policy.
Poland so far has reportedly denied visas to Russian athletes, but the head of Russian Aquatics says that World Aquatics is calling on the country to admit Russian athletes who comply with the ‘neutral athletes’ policies.
That began as a complete ban from most World Aquatics meets to a more recent softening of stance that allows athletes not involved in the war effort to compete under a neutral moniker.
Russian and Belarusian athletes have not, until now, been invited back to European competitions in aquatic sports, with Europe taking a tense posture given the proximity of Russia’s war in Ukraine and rising geopolitical tension by Russian drones into the airspace of other European nations.
The 2025 European Championships are scheduled for December 2-7 in Lublin, which is 11 days away. Russia, meanwhile, has sent a large team to the Strongest Swimming Cup in Belarus this week.
>At this time, no wider impact is expected.
I hope they consulted with Putin before saying this.
I don’t understand this headline.
That’s better. 😂