Russian drones reportedly targeted the Polish city of Rzeszow, a key logistics hub for aid to Ukraine, according to NATO sources. The incident, seen as a potential provocation, led Poland to invoke NATO's Article 4 for emergency consultations. Moscow denies any intentional targeting of Poland.
Russian Drones Target Polish City: NATO Responds
Russian Drones Target Polish City: NATO Responds
It was no coincidence that Russian drones flew over Poland. The logistics hub of Rzeszow, where the majority of international aid to Ukraine passes through, appears to have been the target, according to NATO sources cited by Germany's Der Spiegel.
Rzeszow is located in southeastern Poland, a few miles from the Ukrainian border. A significant portion of both military and civilian aid from the Western world is sent there before being reloaded and transported to Ukraine.
Many foreign politicians who have visited Kyiv have entered the country by train via Rzeszow, including the former U.S. President Joe Biden, as reported by TT. There is also a military base there, according to Der Spiegel.
Several Russian drones reportedly flew in that direction. At least five moved over Poland in a manner that could be interpreted as an attack on Rzeszow, Der Spiegel reports, citing sources within the NATO defense alliance.
Russia's Response
On the night of Wednesday, Russian drones were shot down over Polish airspace. Fighter jets from allied NATO countries also participated in the operation.
Several European leaders have since stated that it is likely an intentional provocation. This has been denied by Moscow. Russia's Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that drones had carried out a major attack on military facilities in western Ukraine, but they had not planned to hit any targets in Poland.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the accusations.
"The leadership of the EU and NATO accuse Russia of provocations daily, often without even attempting to provide evidence," he said on Wednesday, according to the pro-regime Russian news agency RIA.
Article 4
Poland has invoked NATO's Article 4 for emergency consultations in the face of security threats, an unusual measure. It has only happened seven times before in the history of the defense alliance, and the last time it was invoked was when the war in Ukraine began.
NATO has approved the request.
Article 4 should not be confused with Article 5. The latter means that an attack on one NATO country is perceived as an attack on all NATO countries.