Poland drone and missile defenses were activated overnight as the military shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace. Officials confirmed it was the first time such an incident had taken place over NATO territory, a move described as a dangerous provocation.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament that while Poland is not at war, the country is closer to conflict than at any point since World War II. “We are facing an enemy that does not hide its hostile intentions,” he warned.
Tusk announced that Poland had invoked NATO’s Article 4, calling an urgent meeting of the alliance’s decision-making body. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the Poland drone violation was “absolutely reckless” and part of a broader pattern.
According to Tusk, 19 intrusions were recorded, many from Belarus. The incident lasted more than six hours, stretching from late Tuesday until dawn Wednesday.
Poland’s interior ministry reported that seven drones and fragments of one unidentified missile were recovered. In the eastern village of Wyryki, a drone hit a residential building, causing heavy damage but no injuries. Other debris was found in Cześniki, about 100 kilometers away.
“This is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over NATO soil,” Tusk said. “The situation is serious, but Poland is ready to repel these attacks.”
NATO allies rally after Poland drone incident
The Poland drone attack has heightened concerns across Europe. Under NATO’s principle of collective defense, any strike on one member is considered a strike on all.
Rutte confirmed close coordination with Polish authorities and said NATO “will defend every inch of its territory.”
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas labeled the Poland drone incident “the most serious airspace violation since the war began.” She suggested the incursion was intentional, not accidental.
The Netherlands contributed F-35 fighter jets to defensive operations, according to Polish military officials. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces launched at least eight Shahed drones toward Poland, describing it as “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.”
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned the Poland drone strike as “unacceptable.” Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda warned that Moscow is deliberately expanding its aggression.
US officials also reacted strongly. Former State Department spokesperson Ned Price suggested the drones may have been sent to test NATO’s defenses. Senator Dick Durbin was more direct: “Repeated violations of NATO airspace are fair warning that Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations.”
Meanwhile, Warsaw briefly closed airspace over its international airport and several regional airports “due to unplanned military activity.” The restrictions were lifted Wednesday morning.
Rising tensions as Russia escalates air war
The Poland drone incident follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing. Since then, Moscow has intensified its aerial assaults on Ukraine.
Over the weekend, Russia launched more than 800 drones, its largest strike to date, hitting a government complex in Kyiv. On Tuesday, a missile strike in Donetsk killed 24 civilians.
In response, Poland announced it will close its eastern border with Belarus starting Thursday at midnight, citing the upcoming Zapad 25 military drills involving Russian and Belarusian forces. Prime Minister Tusk said the exercises posed a direct security risk.
The Zapad maneuvers have also alarmed Lithuania and Latvia, both NATO members. Analysts say the Poland drone attack underscores the risk that Russia’s war in Ukraine could expand further into allied territory.
For Poland, the incident transformed long-standing warnings into an immediate reality, raising fears of wider escalation across Europe.
