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| Polish troops stand in Wyryki after a drone strike damaged a residential building, following reported airspace violations during Russia’s attack on Ukraine on September 10. |
Warsaw Poland confirmed on Wednesday that its military had shot down Russian drones that entered its airspace during overnight strikes on Ukraine the first time such action has been taken by a NATO member against Russian aerial incursions. Officials described the move as a necessary defense against what Prime Minister Donald Tusk called “an unprecedented violation” of Polish sovereignty.
Tusk told parliament that 19 drones had crossed into Polish territory, with a “large proportion” entering from Belarus. He announced that Poland had formally invoked Article 4 of NATO, triggering consultations among alliance members on the crisis and potential responses.
“We are most likely dealing with a large-scale provocation,” Tusk said in a televised statement after convening the National Security Bureau. “The situation is serious, and Poland is ready to repel this type of attack.”
Damage on the Ground
Polish media reported debris from one drone struck a residential building in Wyryki, near the Belarus and Ukraine borders, causing severe property damage but no injuries. Another drone fragment was recovered near a cemetery in Cześniki, roughly 100 kilometers south. Photographs verified by CNN showed extensive damage to a family home.
President Karol Nawrocki underscored Poland’s readiness to respond:
“The security of our homeland is our highest priority.”
Escalation of Russian Strikes
The incident comes amid Russia’s escalating aerial campaign in Ukraine. On Tuesday, a strike on Yarova in Donetsk killed 24 civilians, according to Ukrainian officials. Over the weekend, Russia launched its largest drone attack since the war began, deploying more than 800 drones and striking Kyiv’s Cabinet of Ministers building for the first time.
These developments follow last month’s summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska, which ended without progress toward ending the conflict. Since then, Russia has intensified its air assaults.
Rising Tensions on NATO’s Eastern Flank
Poland has also announced the closure of its eastern border with Belarus starting Thursday at midnight, citing the imminent launch of Zapad 25, large-scale Russian-Belarusian military exercises taking place near Polish territory.
“On Friday, Russian-Belarusian maneuvers, very aggressive from a military doctrine perspective, begin in Belarus, very close to the Polish border,” Tusk warned.
The exercises, expected to span western Russia and Belarus, have raised alarm across NATO’s eastern members, including Lithuania and Latvia, heightening concerns of further provocations.
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