Poland has experienced a dramatic night that could mark a new turning point in the war in Ukraine and in the security of all of Europe. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Polish troops, together with NATO forces, shot down several Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace “in large numbers” from Belarus. This is the first time in history that Russian drones have been shot down directly over the territory of a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The most important thing about Russian drones in Poland

We reported on the reactions of Slovak and world leaders to the incident in Poland minute by minute on Wednesday. Thank you for your attention! We are currently ending our monitoring of events in Poland, but we will bring further details in current news.

21:12 - Read why low-flying drones are the Achilles heel of Polish air defense.

20:41 -"We must work on a common air defense system and create an effective air shield over Europe," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the Telegram platform after a phone call with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other European leaders. (TASR)

20:19 -"What happened in Poland changed the rules of the game," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters in Brussels, as quoted by the AP news agency. She was referring to the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones on Tuesday night into Wednesday.

19:45 - The head of the Polish President's office, Zbigniew Bogucki, announced on Wednesday evening that Karol Nawrocki is currently on the phone with US President Donald Trump.

19:21 - Poland has now found the wreckage of 14 Russian drones following the incident. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Karolina Galecka reported this. According to the BBC, most of the drones were discovered by soldiers, police and members of other security institutions in the east of the country.

Polish officials announced this morning that 19 Russian drones entered the country's airspace overnight.

19:07 - President Peter Pellegrini condemned on Wednesday the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones that occurred last night. Slovakia stands firmly on the side of Poland, its neighbor and ally, he wrote on the social network. He also stressed the need to strengthen NATO air defense, TASR reports.

"Such a serious violation of our common security is absolutely unacceptable. Slovakia is in contact with Poland and our allies to calmly assess the situation," said Pellegrini."We must continue our efforts to strengthen NATO's air defense and protect allies on the eastern flank, including Slovakia," added the head of state. (TASR)

18:58 - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that during negotiations with European leaders he had accepted"proposals for concrete support for the air defense of our (Polish - ed.) country."

18:31 - Poles have managed to find the wreckage of 12 Russian drones by this evening.

18:23 - Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski:"This is a precedent. We have never seen such a violation of EU and NATO airspace. We will not let it go like this."

In an interview with CNN, Sikorski admitted that the Poles need more means to protect their airspace."We would also appreciate increased pressure on the aggressor," the Polish foreign minister added.

18:09 - Most Germans are in favor of a stronger federal army and a stronger Europe. This is according to a survey by the Federal Center for Military History and Social Sciences, which operates within the German Ministry of Defense. Trust that the US will take care of the security of our allies is declining among Germans.

17:38 - "It is an absolute shame that Foreign Minister Blanár, instead of strongly condemning the Russian drone attack on Poland, said that the drones should have ended up in Ukraine. In other words, the drones should have killed Ukrainian civilians and children, so everything is actually fine," Veronika Remišová from the For the People party reacted to today's words by the head of Slovak diplomacy.

17:30 - After the tension, the world also received a response from President Donald Trump, who briefly responded to the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones with a link on the Truth Social network:"What does it mean that Russia is violating Polish airspace with drones? (Let's do it!)"

17:22 - One of the drones hit the two-story brick house of Alicja and Tomasz Wesolowski in the village of Wyryki-Wola at 6:30 a.m., just as they were watching a television news report on the incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory on the ground floor. The drone debris destroyed the roof. Tomasz Wesolowski told Reuters that the house"needs to be demolished."

17:11 - Several Poles, including former MEP Izabela Klocová, showed what it looks like inside the damaged house of the Wesolowski family from the village of Wyryki.

17:06 - These are Alicja and Tomasz Wesolowski from the Polish village of Wyryki, where debris from Russian drones damaged residents' property. Footage from the interior of the damaged house of the Wesolowski family can be found online at 17:11.

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16:33 - Reaction of the Christian Democrats:"The KDH expresses serious concern about the incident in our northern neighbor Poland, where Russian drones were shot down over the territory of a NATO member state. Given the seriousness of the consequences of the targeted attack on the development of the conflict, we demand a thorough investigation of the entire incident. We also ask the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense to inform the public whether Slovak territory is sufficiently protected from similar incidents. The statements of the Minister of Defense R. Kaliňák at the press conference did not sufficiently convince us in the KDH.

We also call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs J. Blanár to weigh his words when he said, and we quote: 'I want to believe that the drones that penetrated Polish territory were drones that went there not with the aim of attacking Poland, but that they were supposed to end up on Ukrainian territory.' We in the movement consider this statement by a member of the government R. Fico to be unacceptable."

16:26 - US President Donald Trump is expected to speak with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk about the Russian drone attack later today.

16:22 - Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to test the unity of the West by violating Polish airspace, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday. (TASR, AFP, DPA)

16:18 - Ukraine has asked NATO to shoot down drones over its territory that are clearly heading towards Polish airspace. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced this at a press conference on Wednesday. He stressed that no decision has been made on the matter yet. (TASR)

16:15 - PODCAST : Russian drone wreckage found under Warsaw. What Moscow's provocation will cause.

15:52 - The reaction to the incident in Poland, in which its airspace was violated by attack drones, must be both political and demonstrative. The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) must jointly declare that it is interested in protecting all parts of its territory. At the same time, however, it must demonstrate military power to show that it is capable of doing so. This was stated by political scientist Juraj Marušiak for TASR in response to the night incident in Poland.

"I'm not saying that it is necessary to carry out a direct military intervention here now, but unless there is a sufficiently clear reaction from the entire Western community, it may raise concerns among those countries that lie on the border that they will simply be abandoned in the event of a real war," the political scientist fears. (TASR)

15:47 - US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker assured that the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory. The statement came hours after Poland, in cooperation with its partners from the Alliance, shot down Russian drones over its own territory.

"We support our NATO allies regarding these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory," Whitaker responded.

15:22 - The Polish National Security Council will meet on Thursday (September 11), writes the Polish portal Polsat News . Its convening was confirmed by President Karol Nawrocki, who promised this morning that he would convene the Security Council within 48 hours.

14:32 - The Russian Defense Ministry says it did not plan to hit any targets in Poland during the nighttime attacks on Ukraine. It said the drones used had a range of no more than 700 kilometers and were therefore"not intended for attacks on Polish territory." Moscow also said it was ready to negotiate with the Polish Defense Ministry about the incident.

14:28 - A well-known Ukrainian volunteer and head of a large foundation that helps the Ukrainian military, Serhiy Prytula, wrote on the social network Facebook that he does not consider the ten martyrs in Poland a provocation, but a military aggression.

"Let's be honest. Previously, the shahids flew to Poland 'just by chance'. And also to Romania and Moldova. Now there were more than ten of them. Gentlemen, ten (drones) do not fly towards a military logistics hub, from where equipment and weapons are sent to Ukraine, by chance," he said.

14:03 - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico responded with a status on social networks. He speaks of a serious incident that"can lead to far-reaching consequences". Therefore, according to Fico, it is necessary to objectively determine whether it was intentional or accidental and under whose control the drones were used."I express solidarity with Poland and offer cooperation in finding all necessary answers."

The Prime Minister also reminds the opposition and the media that he will not be provoked and that he draws information primarily from relevant sources."At this point, they only allow me to take the above-mentioned position. If there is reason to do so, I will change or supplement my position, while consistently proceeding from the principle of respecting the principles of international law," he added.

Fico, like President Pellegrini and Foreign Minister Blanár, also points out the fact that Slovakia currently does not have its own air defense system. He blames the current opposition for this."Instead of admitting guilt for this military sabotage against Slovakia, they are blabbering in the media like crazy and proving that they are just as capable of getting Slovakia into trouble."

14:01 - The Kremlin took its time with its response to the incident in Poland. However, Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment this morning, when Russian drones violated Polish airspace during the attack on Ukraine, saying that"this is not in our competence."

“This is the prerogative of the Defense Ministry,” he told reporters during a briefing. Peskov also said he was not aware of any requests from the Polish leadership to contact the Kremlin. “No, as far as I know, no,” he said when asked if they had received any requests for contact from the Polish side.

13:29 - Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala declared that the Czech Republic"stands firmly on Poland's side" and is ready to help protect Europe's borders from Russian provocations if necessary.

13:27 - President Peter Pellegrini condemned the night drones in Poland. According to Pellegrini, Bratislava would not be able to react in such a situation as Poland, due to the absence of air defense. However, the Slovak sky is not left unprotected, because it is protected by NATO partners Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland

13:23 - Interior of a Polish house after the night attacks.

And this is what a destroyed house in Poland looks like after a drone strike,

— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) September 10, 2025

13:04 - According to SaS MP Juraj Krúpa, there is information that parts of missiles were also found among the drone wreckage. He therefore believes that Russia could have attacked with missiles and not just drones. Krupa adds that Poland's reaction to activate Article 4 is adequate

13:03 - Military analyst Vladimir Bednar claims for Aktuality.sk that the drone attack on Poland was not accidental, but targeted and may lead to NATO shooting down Russian drones over Ukraine as well. According to him, the Iranian"shahids" used by Russia have a destructive force capable of razing a family home to the ground or seriously damaging a block of flats. You can read more in the article by the head of the foreign editorial office of Aktuality Pavlo Štrba.

12:57 - Kremlin cannot comment on night attacks in Poland. According to the Kremlin, these questions are directed to the Russian Defense Minister.

12:56 - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the incident with Russian drones in Poland"absolutely dangerous and reckless," regardless of whether it was intentional or not. He stressed that Putin must"immediately stop the war against Ukraine, attacks on civilians and violations of alliance airspace."

Rutte assured that NATO is ready and determined to defend "every centimeter of its territory". According to him, the night response was successful and showed the alliance's ability to protect its skies.

12:38 - Czech President Petr Pavel stated on the social network X that the shooting down of Russian drones over Polish territory is clear evidence of how Europe is directly affected by the escalating Russian aggression. He stressed that"the Czech Republic, our neighbors, and Europe are not safe" and that it is impossible to pretend that this war does not affect us. He added that the Czech Republic stands firmly behind Poland as its alliance ally.

12:18 - Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár announced that an extraordinary meeting of the North Atlantic Council is currently underway. This is NATO's main political decision-making body, in which each member country has a delegate."We are in contact with our alliance partners," said the foreign minister.

He described the violation of Poland's airspace as unacceptable. "The Slovak Republic perceives the violation of the territory of our alliance partner as a serious escalation and deterioration of the situation," he added in a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

12:11 - "It looks like this attack was targeted," military analyst Vladimír Bednár tells Aktuality.sk. "The drones that attacked Poland have great destructive power. They can potentially destroy even a block of flats."

"It was an open armed attack on a NATO member state. It is a fundamental violation of the security of our partner Poland. We have absolutely no guarantee that it will not happen to us too," former NATO ambassador Peter Bátor, who is now a member of Progressive Slovakia, tells Aktuality.sk."We should react too," he adds.

12:03 - Former Minister of Defense and Chairman of the Extra-Parliamentary Democrats Jaroslav Naď called on Prime Minister Robert Fico to convene the Security Council of the Slovak Republic.

"The State Security Council should have been convened long ago, because combat drones have landed on the territory of our neighbor, according to media reports from the Russian Federation. What are the government's positions, what is the position of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Peter Pellegrini? What is Minister Kaliňák going to do to protect eastern Slovakia in particular? Nothing, absolutely nothing, no answers, no positions heard, only deafening silence. This government has resigned itself to the security and defense of citizens," he criticized state officials.

However, Peter Pellegrini commented on the situation, criticizing that Slovakia does not have its own air defense system."Where are the Mantis and KUB air defense systems? The modern Mantis system, which I negotiated with Germany and which Kaliňák boasted about on the anniversary of the SNP, is suitable precisely for defense against drones. Why did it end up in the garage again, just like the S300 system under the Smer government? Because Naď took care of it under Heger's government?" asks former Defense Minister Naď, whom representatives of the ruling coalition accuse of leaving Slovakia without air defense when the government donated the Soviet S-300 system to Ukraine.

12:00 - Deputy Speaker of Parliament for Smer Tibor Gašpar avoided criticizing Russia, but called the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallasová a warmonger. "Let's let it be properly investigated whether these are Russian drones. If they were Russian drones, then this is a serious situation and it certainly needs to be addressed. But a reason to involve NATO and the member states of the North Atlantic Alliance is clearly being sought. I would wait until all the circumstances have been properly investigated."

The deputy speaker of the parliament also criticized the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, for her statements that this could be a deliberate attack by Russia."She wants us to get involved in this military conflict. For me, she is a politician who is a warmonger.

11:45 - Seven drones and"missile remains" found so far, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Karolina Gałecka, a spokeswoman for the Polish Interior Minister, has just confirmed that Polish authorities have so far identified seven drones and"missile remains of unknown origin."

11:43 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Russia's violation of Polish and allied airspace "unprecedented, outrageous and extremely reckless." He said it was proof of Putin's "total contempt for peace" and a reminder of the constant bombing that Ukrainians face every day.

Starmer said he had spoken to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk by phone and assured him of Britain's full support. He also thanked Polish and allied forces for their swift response and pledged that Britain, together with its partners, would continue to increase pressure on the Kremlin until a just peace was achieved.

11:39 - Donald Tusk announced NATO's activation of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which obliges NATO members to consult whenever their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. It does not mean automatic involvement in hostilities, but is an important step towards a joint response and preparation of further measures.

11:33 - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that the threat of a major military conflict is the closest since World War II. He stressed that while Poland is"not at war," the situation is more serious than ever.

11:27 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that up to two dozen Russian drones may have penetrated Polish airspace overnight, more than initially reported. The first flight over the border was recorded at 00:50 Kyiv time, with some of the aircraft also using Belarusian airspace.

According to Zelensky, dozens of Russian drones were flying over western Ukraine and the border with Belarus, targeting targets in both countries. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed more than 380 drones, including at least 250 of the"Shahed" type. Zelensky added that Kiev is ready to strengthen cooperation with partners not only in data sharing, but also in joint actions that will guarantee the security of neighbors.

11:19 - Other European Union officials have already reacted to the Russian drones over Polish skies."Last night in Poland we saw the most serious violation of European airspace by Russia since the start of the war, and there are indications that it was deliberate, not accidental," wrote European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas on the social network X.

She added that she is communicating with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

"The Russian war is escalating, it is not ending," Kallas said, emphasizing the need to strengthen support for Ukraine and invest in European defense."The EU plays an important role and we will support initiatives such as the (Polish) Eastern Border Shield," Kallas concluded.

European Council President António Costa says the night's events are"a stark reminder that the security of one is the security of all".

"Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine and reckless violation of the airspace of EU member states pose a direct threat to the security of all Europeans and to critical infrastructure on our continent," he wrote on X.

European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius also spoke out. “Russia is testing border states, the EU and NATO again,” he said. The Union, he said, urgently needs to build a “drone wall” along its eastern flank. “We will work with member states, border states and Ukraine. Russia will be stopped,” he concluded.

11:18 - Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also reacted to the Russian drones in Polish airspace. According to him, it is testing the defense capabilities of NATO countries. He stated that the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening all of Europe and is testing how far it can go.

"It's hard to believe that this was just a coincidence... It's clear that Russia is trying to harm the people of other European countries. We stand behind Poland because they are our allies on the front lines," Fiala said in response to the incident on the social network X.

Another member of the Czech government also expressed support for Poland. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said that the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones is further evidence that Moscow's war against Ukraine threatens everyone."NATO must urgently strengthen air defenses on its eastern border. Putin will not stop until we stop him — hand in hand with tougher sanctions," he responded on the X network.

11:15 - Poland has summoned a Russian diplomat in connection with the intrusion of drones into its airspace.

11:11 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones “unprecedented and reckless”. She stressed the need to increase pressure on Moscow through the 19th sanctions package, which is also to target Russian fossil fuels and sanctions evasion. She added that Europe has already provided Ukraine with almost 170 billion euros and that “this is Russia’s war – and Russia should pay”.

11:08 - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said his country stands"in full solidarity" with Poland and called Russia's repeated violations of NATO airspace a "direct threat to both the population and critical infrastructure."

According to him, the Alliance must strengthen air defenses on the eastern border without delay and respond"with capabilities, not just concerns." At the same time, he stressed that while it is not yet"confirmed whether the incursions of Russian drones into Polish airspace were intentional," Moscow bears full responsibility.

#Lithuania stands in full solidarity with our ally #Poland. Russia's repeated reckless violations of #NATO airspace pose a direct threat to the security of the people and critical infrastructure.

Air defense along NATO's frontline must be reinforced without delay. The Alliance…

— Kęstutis Budrys (@BudrysKestutis) September 10, 2025

10:55 - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has remained silent during many Russian attacks on Ukraine, also reacted. This time he expressed full solidarity with Poland and described the violation of its territorial integrity as"unacceptable". According to him, the incident shows that Hungary's policy of calling for peace is"reasonable and rational".

Orbán added that"life in the shadow of war is full of risks and dangers" and therefore, according to him, it is time to stop the war - while openly supporting Donald Trump's peace efforts.

10:53 - Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok thinks that we still have to wait. He recalled that in the past, a missile fell on Polish territory, which was initially said to be Russian, but was ultimately Ukrainian."The only thing I wish for is peace," he added.

10:48 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones on Platform X a purposeful provocation by Moscow, not an accident. He stressed that this was a"much larger scale and deliberate targeting" than previous incidents, and warned that Russian aggression poses a threat to every independent country in the region.

Zelensky also emphasized that the joint action of several European countries in shooting down Russian drones is a “ groundbreaking precedent” and reiterated his call for the creation of a common European air defense system that would guarantee the shooting down of Russian “shaheeds,” drones and missiles. “Together, Europeans are always stronger,” he wrote, adding that the response to this step must be clear, strong and unified.

More information is coming in about the intrusion of Russian attack drones into Polish territory. As of now, it's known about 8 drones. Increasing evidence indicates that this movement, this direction of strike, was no accident. There have been previous incidents of individual…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 10, 2025

10:42 - Slovakia has also officially reacted to the incident through Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár."What happened during the last drone attack, which the Polish side shot down on its territory, Slovak diplomacy perceives as a serious deterioration of the situation and an escalation," Blanár declared today at a government meeting.

According to Blanár, it was a violation of the territory of our NATO partner. Slovakia expressed"absolute solidarity" to Poland and supports the activation of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which allows NATO states to hold joint consultations. Blanár wants to believe that the Russian drones did not penetrate Polish territory with the intention of attacking.

10:38 - French President Emmanuel Macron called the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones"absolutely unacceptable" and called on Moscow to stop the "irresponsible escalation." He also stressed full solidarity with the Polish people and government, recalling that the security of allies is non-negotiable, according to him. Macron added that he would discuss the situation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.