The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, has announced that his country has successfully intercepted and shot down several Russian drones that intruded into Polish airspace. This incident occurred amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The confrontation took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, September 10, following reports of up to 19 drone incursions overnight.
Tusk indicated that these airspace violations occurred during an assault on Ukraine, labeling the event as a ‘large-scale provocation’ which necessitated a response from Poland.
He stated, “The situation is serious, and no one doubts that we must prepare for various scenarios.”
According to Tusk, some of the drones had originated from Belarus, a close ally of Russia, which has been used as a launching ground for attacks on Ukraine. Out of the 19 drones detected, eight were successfully shot down.
On the other hand, Belarus claimed the drones had ‘lost their way’ and stated it had intercepted some drones within its own borders, while Russia dismissed Poland’s accusations as ‘groundless’.
In a report to the state news agency RIA, via NBC News, Andrei Ordash, Moscow’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw, commented: “Russia is absolutely not interested in any escalation with Poland.”
He further mentioned that there was ‘no evidence’ demonstrating that the drones were of Russian origin.
Despite these denials, the Polish military command labeled the drone incursions an ‘act of aggression’.
On X, previously known as Twitter, Polish President Karol Nawrocki reassured citizens: “The security of our Homeland is the highest priority.”
Following these violations of airspace, Tusk declared that he had invoked article four of NATO’s treaty, which permits alliance members to request discussions with their partners.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart addressed the situation on X, noting: “Numerous drones entered Polish airspace overnight and were met with Polish and NATO air defenses.”
This engagement by NATO marks the first instance where its forces have directly confronted Russian targets since the commencement of hostilities by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
European leaders such as the UK’s Keir Starmer have condemned the airspace breaches, especially in light of a YouGov poll revealing that 45 percent of Americans believe another world war is likely in the near future.
Starmer stated: “This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day.”
Following the interception of the drones, the Polish Armed Forces’ operational command reported that the security of the airspace has been reestablished, with radar and ground-based air defense systems resuming standard operations.