WEB DESK: In a significant escalation, Poland activated its own and NATO’s air defences on Wednesday to shoot down drones entering its airspace following a Russian military assault on Ukraine. This marked the first instance of Poland directly involving itself in the ongoing conflict next door, condemning the incident as an act of aggression.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that military operations were ongoing and that he was maintaining continuous contact with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. An emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers has been scheduled for 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), according to government officials.
Polish military authorities reported multiple violations of their airspace by drones during the Russian strikes across Ukraine’s western border. Radar systems tracked over ten objects, with those deemed threatening being neutralized. “Some drones that entered our airspace were shot down. Search operations are currently underway to locate any crash sites,” the military statement read.
Authorities urged residents in regions including Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin to remain indoors, describing the situation as a “serious act of aggression” that posed a real threat to civilian safety. The government emphasized that the incident represented an escalation with potential danger to the population.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has yet to comment publicly on the incident. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly briefed on the situation, according to CNN. The U.S. State Department has not issued an official statement at this time.
In response to the developments, Warsaw’s Chopin Airport announced the closure of its airspace due to military operations. Flight tracking data indicated that several flights scheduled to land early Wednesday were diverted to airports in Katowice, Wroclaw, and Poznan. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that Chopin, along with Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport and two other Polish airports, had been temporarily shut down.
Ukraine’s air force had previously issued alerts for nearly the entire night in western border regions such as Volyn and Lviv, warning of incoming Russian drones. Although Ukraine initially claimed that Russian drones had penetrated NATO-member Poland’s airspace near Zamosc, the statement was later withdrawn from their Telegram channel.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin warned that repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones indicated Vladimir Putin’s testing of Western resolve in defending Poland and the Baltic states. “These incursions are unacceptable, especially after the devastation Putin has wrought in Ukraine,” Durbin said.
Similarly, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson described Russia’s actions as “an act of war,” calling on President Trump to impose sanctions that could cripple Moscow’s military efforts. Wilson emphasized that Russia’s aggressive stance in NATO territory represented a dangerous escalation.
Former U.S. Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges commented that the frequency of drone incursions into NATO airspace appears to be deliberate testing of NATO’s defenses. “It’s clear these are intentional provocations, and we need to respond more effectively each time,” he told Reuters, suggesting that current measures may be insufficient.
Poland has maintained heightened alert status since a stray Ukrainian missile struck a village in Poland in 2022, killing two civilians during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this week, Poland announced plans to close its border with Belarus at midnight Thursday, citing concerns over Russia-led military exercises in Belarus. The “Zapad” drills have heightened security anxieties across NATO borders, with Lithuania also reinforcing defenses along its eastern front.
As tensions mount, military analysts warn that these drone incursions could be deliberate efforts to test NATO’s response capabilities, emphasizing the need for enhanced readiness and vigilance.
