According to the state government, Polish airspace was repeatedly violated by drone-like objects flying in from the Ukrainian side. The army confirmed that they had been shot down, and an operation is currently underway to search for their wreckage.
Meanwhile, the police reported that they had found a damaged drone in the municipality of Czosnówka at 5:40 a.m. Further parts were found near the cemetery in the town of Cześniki in the southeast of the country.
The army command initially reported that radar systems had detected more than ten objects and that those posing a threat had been “neutralized.” The army described the violation of the country's airspace as an “act of aggression.”
The Polish president's adviser on international affairs, Marcin Przydacz, later clarified that several dozen drones had entered the airspace of our northern neighbor.
This is the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine that Warsaw has used military assets in its airspace.
NATO does not consider this a Russian attack
Meanwhile, the Polish army announced that the operations of the Polish and allied air forces, which had responded to the airspace violation, had already been completed.
The Polish Minister of Economy assured that the drones had not affected the energy infrastructure.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw was in constant contact with NATO.
A NATO source told Reuters news agency that the alliance did not consider the drones' incursion into Polish territory to be an attack. However, initial indications suggest that six to ten Russian aircraft deliberately entered the airspace.
“This was the first time NATO aircraft had taken action against potential threats in allied airspace,” the source said, adding that Patriot air defense systems in the region had detected the drones on radar but had not attacked them.
According to the source, Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35 fighter jets, Italian AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, and NATO aircraft with air-to-air refueling capabilities were involved in the nighttime operation.
The alliance will meet on Wednesday to discuss its response to the incident.
Special government meeting
On Wednesday morning, a meeting began at the headquarters of the Office for National Security (BBN) in Warsaw to discuss the nighttime incident. The government will then convene for a special meeting.
President Karol Nawrocki, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and several ministers are attending the meeting. The most important information was provided to the participants by the army, which monitored the situation in the east of the country, particularly in the Lublin Province, as well as in two other regions.
President Nawrocki announced that he would convene a meeting of the Security Council within 48 hours. According to him, this is an unprecedented moment in the history of NATO.
Tusk: No reason to panic
Donald Tusk described the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones as a likely far-reaching provocation. He emphasized that there had been no casualties in the incident and that Poland was ready to respond to attacks or provocations.
The prime minister also stated that consultations with allies were still ongoing after the incident, but that the situation now appeared to be under control. According to him, there was no reason to panic or to introduce restrictions that would make life difficult for the population.
Airports back in operation
The army urged the population to stay at home, especially in the Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, Poland closed four airports shortly after the incident, including the main Fryderyk Chopin Airport in Warsaw and Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland, which serves as a hub for transporting passengers and weapons to Ukraine.
The airport in the capital has since announced that it is back in operation, but disruptions and flight delays may continue throughout the day.
Authorities later confirmed the resumption of flight operations at the airports in Modlin and Rzeszów. Only the airport in Lublin remains temporarily closed, a spokesperson for the Polish Air Navigation Services Authority (PAZP) told private television station TVN24.
Data from Flightradar24 showed that several flights scheduled to land at Chopin Airport on Wednesday morning were diverted to airports in the Polish cities of Katowice, Wrocław, and Poznań.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the incident.
EU wants “wall” on eastern border
According to EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, the European Union must erect a “drone wall” along the eastern flank of its member states. “Russia is once again testing the border states, the EU, and NATO,” Kubilius wrote on social network X. “We will work with the member states, the border countries, and Ukraine. We will stop Russia.”
According to the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, initial indications suggest that the incursion of Russian drones into European airspace was deliberate and not accidental. "The Russian war continues, it is even escalating. We must increase the price Moscow pays for its aggression, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest more in European defense," Kallas wrote on social network X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her State of the Union address on Wednesday that the EU would launch the Eastern Flank Watch program to improve real-time surveillance in countries bordering Russia. At the same time, she stressed that the Union would build a “drone wall” and present measures to launch new joint defense projects at the next summit of heads of state and government. She added that the Commission would propose a new program called “Qualitative Military Edge” to promote investment in strengthening Ukraine's military capabilities.
European Council President António Costa said that the events in Poland were a clear reminder that the security of individuals is the security of all. He noted that Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine and its reckless violation of EU member states' airspace posed a direct threat to the security of all Europeans. He noted that Europe is increasing its investment in defense, as peace and security on the continent cannot be taken for granted.
Allies speak out
French President Emmanuel Macron described the events as absolutely unacceptable. He announced that he would soon speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and emphasized that Paris would not compromise on issues of allied security.
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told Network X that Russia was “attacking a NATO ally, Poland, with drones” and called it an “act of war.”
Wilson called on US President Donald Trump to respond with sanctions that would “bankrupt the Russian war machine.” “It's no longer enough for Putin to lose in Ukraine and bomb mothers and children, now he's directly testing our resolve on NATO territory,” Wilson added.
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The Ukrainian Air Force had previously reported that Russian drones had entered the airspace of NATO member Poland, threatening the city of Zamosc, but subsequently removed this report from the Telegram app.
Poland has been on high alert since November 2022, when a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile struck its territory, killing two civilians.
(reuters, max, tvn24, est)