Poland shoots down several Russian drones, denouncing an "unprecedented violation" of its airspace.

BerlinPoland announced early this morning that it had shot down several Russian drones that entered its territory and thus violated Polish airspace. NATO member Warsaw considered the incursion "an act of aggression" that posed "a real threat to the security" of its citizens. Prime Minister Donald Tusk even warned that the prospect of a major open conflict with Russia is "closer than at any time since World War II."

"Polish and allied forces have monitored dozens of objects by radar and, considering those that could represent a threat, the operational command of the armed forces has decided to neutralize them," the armed forces informed X, which ended the operation at 8 a.m. NATO reported that the alliance's air defenses helped Poland shoot down the drones. According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who spoke at a press conference, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany intervened.

Donald Tusk stated that "the drones that posed a direct threat have been shot down" and called an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, which was also attended by several armed forces generals. He detailed that 19 airspace violations had occurred, and the Interior Ministry specified that seven drones and "remnants of a missile of unidentified origin" had been identified.

This is not the first time that Russian drones have invaded the airspace of NATO countries, but it is the first time that one of the allies has been forced to shoot them down. Just this Tuesday, the Polish Defense Minister had emphasized that, in the wake of recent incidents, the downing of the aircraft would be authorized, and explained that the armed forces had the "full support" of the government to do so.

"Most likely, we are facing a large-scale provocation," said the Polish Prime Minister. Tusk said he was in contact with Mark Rutte and the rest of the allies, in order "to be able to respond to this type of threat with the same effectiveness as we did tonight." "The situation is serious. No one can doubt that we must prepare for various scenarios," he warned.

The Polish leader stressed that this incursion is unprecedented because, for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine, the drones did not originate from the attacked country, but rather "a significant portion of the drones flew over Poland directly from Belarus." Therefore, he emphasized that "it cannot be said that the incursions were the result of errors, the loss of control of the drones, or minor Russian provocations." This is precisely the explanation given by Minsk, which stated that the aircraft had lost their way due to the action of Russian and Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.

Mark Rutte stressed that this attack, which he described as "absolutely reckless and dangerous," "is not an isolated incident" and reinforces the importance of NATO and the need to continue increasing investment in defense. "I'm truly impressed" by the Allies' reaction, the Secretary General said, adding that the action in Poland demonstrates the Alliance's readiness to defend "every inch" of its member territories.

For his part, Poland's conservative president, Karol Nawrocki, called an urgent national security meeting, also with the head of government. "The security of our homeland is the highest priority and requires close cooperation," he asserted, sending a message of unity despite the clashes with the prime minister. He described the events as an "unprecedented moment" in the history of NATO and in the country's recent history.

Russia says it was not planning to attack Poland

Russia responded that it did not launch a deliberate attack against Poland. "There were no plans to hit targets on Polish territory," a statement from the Ministry of Defense said, emphasizing that the maximum flight range of the drones used in the airstrike on Ukraine, "which allegedly crossed the border with Poland," does not exceed 700 kilometers. However, the statement indicates that they are willing to "hold consultations on the matter" with the Polish Ministry of Defense.

Hours earlier, the European Union's top diplomat, Estonian Kaja Kallas, stated that "there are indications suggesting" that the drone attack was "intentional" and not accidental. She emphasized that this is "the largest violation of European airspace by Russia since the beginning of the war (in Ukraine)." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the incursion "reckless and unprecedented" and announced that Brussels will provide €6 billion to create a "drone alliance" with Ukraine.

According to Ukraine—which, once again last night, suffered an attack with numerous missiles and drones in its airspace targeting several regions in the center and west of the country—Russia may have launched "two dozen" drones over Polish territory, according to the president, according to information. "Moscow always pushes the limits of the possible, and if it doesn't meet with a strong reaction, it remains at the next level of escalation. Today is a new level of escalation: Russian-Iranian Shahed drones operating in Polish airspace, in NATO airspace," he wrote on social media. In tonight's attack on Ukraine, Russia launched 415 drones and more than 40 ballistic missiles, according to the Ukrainian president.

Several European leaders have come out in support of Poland and criticized Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron called the incursion "simply unacceptable" and urged Moscow to "end this reckless escalation." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also called it "extremely reckless," adding that it serves as a reminder of "President Putin's blatant disregard for peace and the constant bombardment that innocent Ukrainians face every day."

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the European leader closest to Vladimir Putin, said the violation of territorial integrity was unacceptable but avoided singling out Russia. "The incident demonstrates that our policy of calling for peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine is reasonable and rational," he wrote on X.

No personal injuries

Polish authorities confirmed that one of the drones fell onto the roof of a residential building in Wyryki, in the east of the country, causing minor material damage. According to local media, wreckage from a second device has also been found in the Lublin region, and the military is investigating it. The Polish government has mobilized Territorial Defense Troops (WOT), a service of volunteers and reservists, to conduct ground searches for the downed drones, according to the Interior Ministry. Initially, the violation of Polish airspace forced the temporary closure of four Polish airports. They have now been able to reopen, although some flights are experiencing delays.

"We call on citizens to remain calm, closely follow the announcements of state services and not be carried away by emotions, manipulation and misinformation," said the Ministry of the Interior, which asked the population "not to approach, touch or move the remains.