At least three Russian drones were shot down by Polish and NATO aircraft in Poland's airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine, the Polish prime minister has confirmed.
Donald Tusk addressed MPs stating that Poland had recorded 19 drone incursions, with some drones flying deep enough to temporarily close four airports, including Warsaw's Chopin airport.
This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two, Tusk remarked. This incident marks the first time Russian drones have been downed over a NATO member state since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The Russian defense ministry refuted claims of targeting Polish facilities, stating: there had been no plans to target facilities on the territory of Poland. However, they acknowledged an incident regarding an operational navigation system failure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe, with implications of the escalating threat posed by Russia's actions. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is continuing to expand the war.
In response to the drone incursions, Tusk convened an emergency meeting and proposed to invoke article 4 of the NATO treaty, which facilitates consultations among member states when one feels its territorial integrity is threatened.
Poland is actively maintaining communication with NATO officials, coordinated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who commended the very successful reaction of the alliance in light of these events. Rutte condemned Russia's perceived recklessness, regardless of whether these incursions were intentional.
Polish authorities reported no injuries or fatalities resulting from the drones and urged citizens to stay vigilant about unknown items that could pose safety threats.
Flight operations were suspended at major Polish airports due to the escalation, highlighting the real-world impacts of this military confrontation.
