Main Points

• Poland shoots down Russian drones over its territory after repeated violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine overnight
• 19 Russian drones were shot down after flying up to 300km into Polish airspace
• Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says the situation brings Poland “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two” and requests Nato consultations
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he “strongly condemns” the violation of Poland’s territorial integrity and sovereignty by Russia
• Keir Starmer tells the House of Commons that he intends to “ramp up the pressure” on Russia
• Kremlin declines to comment on Poland’s statement on the incident

Read Derek Scally’s analysis of the situation here

Sarah Burns - 5 minutes ago

‘What happened in Poland is a game changer,’ says EU chief

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has said that the response to the violation of Poland’s airspace had shown that Europe can defend itself, but needs to do more.

“The drones were taken down, so that means that we are able to defend ourselves, but it’s clear that we need to do more,” Kallas told reporters on Wednesday.

“What happened in Poland is a game changer. We have to have a very strong response,” she said. “Russia is deliberately escalating. We have to be very firm.”

Kallas also stressed the need to push on with more sanctions against Russia.

Sarah Burns - 13 minutes ago

Flying drones into Polish airspace was a planned action by Russia, its deputy prime minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has said.

He added that there was a disinformation campaign targeting Poland organised by Russia and Belarus in relation to the airspace incident.

Germany supports Poland in invoking Article 4 of NATO’s treaty after Warsaw said Russian drones had violated its airspace and that it had shot down those that posed a threat, its defence minister Boris Pistorius has said.

The minister also told the Bundestag lower house of parliament on Wednesday that the drones had clearly been armed.

Sarah Burns - 1 hour ago

Two weeks after official ceremonies in Poland to remember Germany’s invasion of Poland that began the second World War, millions of Poles woke up on Wednesday morning to news of 19 Russian drones shot down after flying up to 300km (186 miles) into Polish airspace.

It was the first time a Nato member is known to have fired shots since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, writes Berlin correspondent Derek Scally.

His analysis can be read here.

Starmer intends to ‘ramp up pressure’

Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, has told the House of Commons that he intends to “ramp up the pressure” on Russia, following the drone incursion last night in Poland, a Nato state.

London Correspondent Mark Paul reports that during the prime minister’s questions parliamentary set piece, which is still ongoing in the Commons chamber, Mr Starmer said he spoke this morning to Polish prime minister Donald Tusk to offer him support.

Mr Starmer said that following the Russian drone incursion, he would deepen engagement with Britain’s allies through the so-called coalition of the willing. The coalition is a grouping of 31 European states led by the UK and France that has promised to step up military support for Ukraine and are willing to act as peacekeepers on the ground.

“We will ramp up pressure on Russia until there is a just and lasting peace,” said Mr Starmer.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said her party stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the Labour government on the issue.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Starmer issued a statement criticising Russia’s “barbaric attack” on Ukraine. He also expressed “deep” concern over what he called “the egregious and unprecedented violation of Polish and Nato airspace by Russian drones”.

Sarah Burns - 2 hours ago

The Kremlin has declined to comment on Poland’s statement that it had shot down Russian drones in Polish airspace, saying this was a matter for the defence ministry.

Poland said a large number of Russian drones had violated its airspace during the incident, and those that posed a direct threat had been shot down.

Sarah Burns - 2 hours ago

French president Emmanuel Macron has said the incursion of drones during a Russian attack on western Ukraine into Polish airspace was “simply unacceptable,” adding that he would speak soon to Nato chief Mark Rutte.

“We will not compromise on the safety of our allies,” Mr Macron wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Sarah Burns - 2 hours ago

Slovakia sees the violation of Polish territory a serious escalation, its foreign minister Juraj Blanár said on Wednesday.

Mr Blanar said Slovakia expressed solidarity with Poland and supported consultations that Poland had requested under Article 4 of the Nato treaty.

Sarah Burns - 2 hours ago

‘Poland is closest it has been to open conflict since WWII’

Poland is the closest it has been to open conflict since the second World War, its prime minister Donald Tusk has said.

He said Poland had asked Nato to open consultations under Article 4 of its treaty, which states that members of the western military alliance will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.

Mr Tusk told parliament there had been 19 intrusions into Polish airspace overnight. The incursions heightened tensions that were already simmering after previous incursions by drones.

“I have no reason to claim we’re on the brink of war, but a line has been crossed, and it’s incomparably more dangerous than before,” he said.

“This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since the second World War”.

Tusk said the shooting down of three drones had been confirmed, and it was likely a fourth had been downed.

“The fact that these drones, which posed a security threat, were shot down changes the political situation. Therefore, allied consultations took the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the Nato Treaty,” Mr Tusk said – Reuters

Sarah Burns - 2 hours ago

Poland has found seven drones and parts of one missile following intrusion of drones into Polish airspace overnight, interior ministry spokesperson Karolina Galecka told a news briefing.

“Seven drones and debris of one missile of unidentified origin have been found,” Ms Galecka said.

Sarah Burns - 3 hours ago

Russian incursion has to be ‘wake-up call’, says Simon Harris

Russia’s incursion into Polish airspace “has to be a wake-up call for the West”, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said.

Mr Harris also called on US president Donald Trump to join EU efforts in sanctioning Russia, saying they would be much more effective with American involvement.

“We’ve heard president Trump talk many times about considering sanctions and thinking about sanctions. In our view, the time for thinking about them is over,” he said.

The Fine Gael leader said Europe is preparing more sanctions against Moscow, but expressed concern at Russian president Vladimir Putin’s escalating “campaign of terror”, particularly after last month’s summit between the US and Russian leaders in Alaska.

“While the world talks about peace, talks about de-escalation, talks about finding an end to the Russian aggression in Ukraine – president Putin continues his campaign of terror against the civilian population in Ukraine, and last night, escalated that further by the launching of many drones into Poland.

British prime minister Keir Starmer has said he was deeply concerned by the violation of Polish and Nato airspace by Russian drones during an air attack on Ukraine, calling it an “extremely reckless” move by Moscow.

“This morning’s barbaric attack on Ukraine and the egregious and unprecedented violation of Polish and Nato airspace by Russian drones is deeply concerning,” Mr Starmer said in a statement.

“This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of president Putin’s blatant disregard for peace,” Mr Starmer said, adding that he had been in touch with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk on Wednesday to express British support for Poland.

I strongly condemn the violation of Poland’s territorial integrity and sovereignty by Russia.

This was reckless and unprecedented act that is a stark reminder of the threat posed by Russia to Europe’s security.

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) September 10, 2025

Sarah Burns - 3 hours ago

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has strongly condemned the “violation of Poland’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” by Russia.

Mr Martin said it was “a reckless and unprecedented act” that is a stark reminder of the threat posed by Russia to Europe’s security.

“Ireland stands in full solidarity with Poland and its right to take necessary steps to defend its sovereign territory,” he said in a statement this morning.

“As the Government will discuss today, these events underline the need to strengthen our support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s ongoing war of aggression.”

Sarah Burns - 3 hours ago

Poland said it scrambled its own and Nato air defences to shoot down drones over its territory after repeated violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine in what the Polish army called an “act of aggression”.

It marks the first time in the war in Ukraine that Warsaw has engaged Russian assets in its airspace.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media: “Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.”

Mr Tusk said Poland was “dealing with a large-scale provocation” by Russia but there was “no reason to panic” as Poland had successfully repelled the attack.

The incident has triggered alarm and criticism across Poland and Europe, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy among those to condemn it.