Poland restricts airspace in the east of the country the day after intercepting Russian drones

BerlinPoland announced Thursday that it will restrict air traffic in the eastern part of the country along its border with Belarus and Ukraine, a day after shooting down several Russian drones that had violated its airspace.

The restrictions, which came into effect Wednesday evening, will remain in place until December 9, the Polish Air Traffic Control Agency (PAZP) announced in a statement. At the request of the operational command of the armed forces, Poland has banned drone flights and introduced restrictions in this border area that primarily affect small, non-commercial air traffic. The restrictions will not affect passenger traffic.

The Polish Air Traffic Control Agency explains that the restriction was introduced to "ensure the security of the state," in accordance with the Ministry of Infrastructure's regulation on flight restrictions for a period not exceeding three months.

In parallel, Warsaw requested an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council following "Russia's violation of Polish airspace," the Polish Foreign Ministry reported on X. "Putin is testing us. This is a test for the entire world," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on RMF FM on Thursday.

By requesting an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council, Warsaw intends to "draw the attention of the entire world to this unprecedented attack by Russian drones against a member state not only of the UN, but also of the European Union and NATO," the head of the diplomat said.

During a visit to the Lask Tactical Air Base, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked Polish and allied pilots for their intervention during the recent series of Russian drone incursions, calling them "Heroes." "Polish pilots, together with their allies, have passed the toughest test by protecting Polish skies from a Russian provocation last night [Wednesday]. They are our heroes!" Tusk wrote on social media. Soldiers at the base, F-16 pilots, are taking part in neutralizing the drones.

"Poland will not be intimidated by Russian drones," Polish President Karol Nawrocki said during a visit to the Poznań-Krzesiny Tactical Air Base. Nawrocki, who is also a member of the armed forces, believes that "this Russian provocation is nothing more than an attempt to test Poland's response capacity."

Call for a "strong response" from Brussels

The foreign ministers of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine—the so-called Lublin Triangle—strongly condemned the recent intrusion of Russian drones into Polish territory on Thursday. "This is a deliberate and coordinated attack that constitutes an unprecedented provocation and an escalation of tension," the Triangle leaders said in a joint statement.

Warsaw, Kiev, and Vilnius called on their partners to "urgently strengthen Ukraine's air defenses and support Lithuania and Poland in their efforts to protect the eastern flank of NATO and the EU." "Only an adequate and decisive response will prevent further escalation," the three ministers warned.

On Tuesday night, Russian drones violated Polish airspace in an unprecedented manner, causing material damage but no casualties. It was the first time that Russian drones had been shot down over the territory of a NATO member since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow denies that it intended to attack targets in Poland and claims that Warsaw has no evidence that the drones were . During the night, 19 unmanned aircraft flew over Polish territory. So far, the wreckage of 16 drones has been found, and the Polish military and emergency services continue to search for the remaining aircraft.

Polish and allied aircraft took part in the defense operation, including Dutch F-35s and F-16s, MI-24, MI-17, and Black Hawk helicopters. Saab and AWACS aircraft were also activated, the Polish government reported.

At Poland's request, NATO on Wednesday activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which requires member states to consult each other in the event of a threat. "This is the closest we've come to open conflict since World War II," Tusk said Wednesday, although he also noted that he has no reason to believe we are "on the brink of war."