LVIV, UKRAINE/ PRZEMYSL, POLAND: Several Russian attack drones have violated Polish airspace. Poland reports finding parts of seven drones and one missile. NATO has now activated Article 4, according to TVP.

Russian Shahed drones were shot down last night far across the border in Poland, Polish authorities have confirmed.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday morning that Poland requested that NATO's Article 4 be invoked (see fact box).

Just before 2 p.m., Polish public broadcaster TVP announced that Article 4 had been activated. This was confirmed by government spokesman Adam Szłapka. It is the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that the article has come into force.

Tusk said that Poland's airspace was subjected to 19 violations. Many of the drones entered from the border with Belarus. Parts of seven drones and one missile were found shot down, the Polish Interior Ministry reported.

The last one was neutralized at 6:45 a.m.

– We have not been closer to armed conflict since the Second World War, says Tusk.

The Polish TV channel Telewizja Republika has published what are supposed to be images of downed drones:

Some of the images suggest that one of the drones is a Styrofoam decoy drone. These are drones without explosives that are used to exhaust Ukrainian air defenses.

Russian diplomat: – Groundless accusations

The remains of a drone reportedly hit a residential building in the village of Wyryki Wola in Lublin. No one was injured, reports the TV channel Polsat News. Drone parts have also been found in a cemetery in the town of Czesniki.

NATO chief Mark Rutte calls the violation of Poland's airspace reckless behavior.

– We are on alert and will defend all NATO territory, Rutte says.

Russia's chargé d'affaires in Poland says Poland has not provided evidence that the drones that were shot down are Russian.

– We consider the accusations groundless, says Andrei Ordash, Russia's top diplomat in Poland.

He has been summoned to the carpet by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russia's Defense Ministry says it had no plans to attack targets in Poland. Poland, for its part, believes it was planned.

Shortly before eight o'clock, the Polish Armed Forces announced that the air operation with its own and allied aircraft had ended. Dutch F-35 fighter jets participated.

It is the first time that NATO aircraft have countered possible threats in the airspace of an ally, a NATO source told Reuters. The German Patriot system was reportedly used to detect the drones.

– We thank NATO and the Dutch Air Force who helped us secure Polish airspace last night, writes the High Command of the Polish Armed Forces.

“This is a situation without precedent in NATO history,” says Polish President Karol Nawrocki. He says the UN Security Council will be convened within 48 hours.

– Unparalleled violation

EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas believes the drone attack is the most serious air violation by Russia since the Ukraine war began.

– Indications suggest that this was deliberate, not an accident, she writes on X.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) calls the offense unacceptable.

– Last night's violation of Polish airspace is unacceptable. Poland has our full support. I have been in contact with Donald Tusk today, and we are in close contact with NATO and our partners, writes Støre on social media on Wednesday.

– Russia's war against Ukraine threatens stability in Europe, writes Støre.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide calls the Russian violation of Polish airspace very serious.

– There is much evidence that this is a Russian attempt to test NATO, says Barth Eide.

Several European foreign ministers condemn the attack, including the Czech Republic's Jan Lipavský.

Republican congressman Joe Wilson calls the incident a declaration of war from Russia.

– I urge President Trump to respond with sanctions that will put the Russian war machine on the brink of bankruptcy and provide Ukraine with weapons that can hit targets in Russia, he writes on X.

EU Commission President: – Must build a drone wall

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU will now build a drone wall. She also says that even stronger sanctions against Russia will be necessary.

The attack last night had immediate consequences:

• The airport in the Polish city of Rzeszow, which is a very important military hub for European military aid to Ukraine, was closed. The same happened at the airports in Lublin and Modlin.
• At 02:30, the airspace over the airport in Warsaw was also closed.
• It was not until 08:00 that all airports were reopened to civilian traffic.

From Polish social media came reports of explosions and the characteristic sound of the Russian-Chinese drones.

This is how it started

On Tuesday evening, the first swarms of Russian drones attacked Ukraine. Overnight, several hundred drones arrived in wave after wave, many heading for western Ukraine.

From 2 a.m. the first reports came that several Russian drones had continued on to Poland.

Why is this important?

This is not the first time that Russian missiles and drones have entered NATO countries. Both Poland and Romania have experienced it regularly.

But what happened last night is still unprecedented.

• Never before have so many Russian drones violated Polish airspace at once. Nor have they been so far into Poland.
• One explanation could be that the Russians lost control of their drones during last night's major attack. The Russian-Chinese drones keep falling in random places.
• The drones may also have lost their sense of direction after being hit by the Ukrainian Air Force's electronic warfare systems.
• At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that the Russians are testing NATO's air defenses

The Polish Armed Forces put Home Guard forces on alert in the morning hours to search for drones. The first downed Russian drone was found at 6 a.m. near Lublin, according to Polish police.

Putin's Chinese drones

A crucial explanation for why Russia can now escalate the terrorist bombing of Ukraine is help from China.

The drones are made in Russia, but can largely be called Chinese. Over 41 critical components in the drones are Chinese, a recent study shows.