Russian drones were shot down over Poland, sparking international tension. Poland's foreign minister calls for a strong response from the US, while Russia denies intentional airspace violations. NATO has invoked Article 4 for emergency consultations, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Tensions Rise as Russian Drones Shot Down Over Poland
Tensions Rise as Russian Drones Shot Down Over Poland
Russia denies that the overnight violation of Polish airspace was intentional. Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski seeks a strong response from the US President.
– Putin laughs at President Trump's peace efforts, he says according to ABC News. Trump writes on Truth Social: “What's the deal with Russia flying drones over Poland? Okay, here we go.”
It was during the night leading to Wednesday that Russian drones were shot down over NATO member Poland by the country's air force.
Fighter jets from allied NATO countries also participated.
Several European leaders have since stated that it is likely an intentional provocation.
“The most serious Russian violation of European airspace since the war broke out,” writes EU's foreign chief Kaja Kallas on X.
However, the Russian Ministry of Defense denies it.
Whether Russian drones were in Polish airspace is neither denied nor confirmed by Moscow.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has also dismissed the accusations.
– The leadership of the EU and NATO accuses Russia of provocations daily. Often without even trying to provide evidence, he says according to the regime-loyal Russian news agency RIA, writes TT.
19 Violations
Exactly how many drones are involved is initially unclear, but according to Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, there are a total of 19 violations.
– 19 violations were identified and carefully tracked. Currently, we have confirmation that three drones were shot down, he said in a speech in Poland's parliament on Wednesday morning.
Simultaneously, Russia's ally Belarus reports that it also shot down drones in its airspace overnight, writes TT.
These are aircraft that “went off course” after electronic interference from both Kyiv and Moscow, according to the authoritarian country's military, which does not specify whether they were Russian or Ukrainian drones, according to the news agency AFP.
Article 4
Poland has invoked NATO's Article 4 for emergency consultation in the face of security threats, which has only happened seven times before in the alliance's history.
NATO has approved the request.
It is an unusual measure that has only been taken seven times before in history – and means that NATO will consult when a member country feels threatened. The last time it was invoked was when the war in Ukraine began.
Article 4 should not be confused with Article 5. The latter means that an attack on a NATO country is perceived as an attack on all NATO countries.
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said he hopes for a strong response from US President Donald Trump, reports ABC News.
– Putin laughs at President Trump's peace efforts. Since Alaska (where Trump met Putin, ed. note), he has only intensified the war. I hope Trump backs up his words with action.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump comments on the incident on Truth Social: “What's the deal with Russia flying drones over Poland? Okay, here we go!”
Trump is expected to speak with Poland's President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday.
Kristersson: “Not by Mistake”
Neither Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson nor Defense Minister Pål Jonsson believes that the drone incident was accidental, reports TT.
– No one probably thinks this happened by mistake. It follows a Russian way of working, wanting to test and challenge other countries, says Ulf Kristersson to the news agency.
– I can state that the drones were three and a half miles into Polish territory, and there were many drones. It does not appear to be a mistake, says Pål Jonsson.