image : Polish military and drone experts inspect the crash site of a Russian drone in the village of Wohyń, eastern Poland
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reported that Polish and other NATO forces shot down at least three Russian drones within Poland’s airspace during overnight attacks targeting Ukraine. Mr. Tusk said that Poland recorded a total of 19 drone incursions, Some Russian’s drones penetrated Polish airspace deeply enough to close temporarily four airports, including Warsaw’s primary hub, Chopin Airport. The Prime Minister characterized this event as the closest the region has come to open conflict since World War II. This marks the first instance of Russian drones being neutralized over NATO territory since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense has denied any intent to target facilities within Poland.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the drones’ maximum range is 700km, which was prepared to engage in consultations with its Polish counterparts. Russia’s temporary charge d’affaires in Poland stated that Warsaw had not provided evidence to confirm the drones’ Russian origin. In a separate development, Belarus, a key Russian ally, claimed the drones’ incursion into Polish airspace was accidental, a result of navigation system jamming.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the incident as “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.” Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal told BBC Radio 4’s World Tonight that the event should prompt NATO and European nations to “realize that the world has changed and that Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory is not just between Russia and Ukraine. This is part of global Russian strategy.”
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