We are continuously updating the report
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday that aircraft mobilized in response to repeated violations of Polish airspace had hit"hostile objects," Reuters reported, TASR reports.
"The aircraft used weapons against enemy targets," Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on social media, adding that Poland is in constant contact with NATO command.
As the Polish General Staff later confirmed, these were Russian drones that were attacking Ukrainian territory and violating Polish airspace. The drones that could have posed a threat were shot down.
After an emergency meeting of the Polish government, Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared before the media."There is no reason to panic, life will be normal. We will inform the public about all events so that it is clear what is happening at our borders and in the air. At this moment, there is no reason to introduce any restrictive measures that would make the lives of our citizens more difficult," Tusk said at a press conference.
Tusk further stated that all procedures and practices of the Polish army and NATO allies worked as they should, he also pointed out that it is important not only to invest in the purchase of defense equipment but also to practice coordination with allies. He also clarified that the closure of airports during the defensive operation was not due to attacks on them, but so that military air units could operate safely from them.
"This is the first time that Russian drones have been shot down over a NATO member state. All our allies are taking this situation very seriously," Tusk added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a morning briefing that at least eight Russian drones were heading towards Polish territory.
🚨 #BreakingNews | @RepublikaTV is the first to publish photos of a drone found in Mniszków, Opoczno County (100 km from Warsaw).
— michal.rachon (@michalrachon) September 10, 2025
Our information: at least 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Those posing a threat were neutralized by the Air Force. Poland remains the only…
They are searching for the wreckage.
The search for the wreckage of the drones is currently underway in three Polish voivodeships. As reported by Onet.pl, citing the police in Lublin, the first downed machine has already been found in the city of Czosnówka. According to sources from Onet.pl, the drone should have fallen into a field and there should have been no injuries or damage to property. The Polish Home Guard is also participating in the search for the wreckage.
The second drone was reported to have crashed in the village of Wyriki, near the border with Belarus. The debris from the drone damaged a house and a parked car.
According to the news website Onet.pl, territorial defense units were activated to search for the downed drones on the ground. Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz called on people to stay at home and, if they find debris, not to approach the drones and to inform the police. The risk areas are the Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lublin voivodeships.
The minister added that President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk are informed about the latest developments. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called an emergency meeting of his cabinet for eight o'clock. The defense minister was supposed to attend a meeting of defense ministers of European countries known as the E5 today, but is now urgently returning to Poland. He called on the country's residents to remain calm and follow the statements of the Polish army and police.
Security measures and Article 5
On Wednesday night, Polish media reported the temporary closure of airports in Rzeszów, Lublin and Warsaw due to drones entering Polish airspace. In response, Poland deployed its own and NATO fighter jets, while air defense and radars were put on high alert.
According to several reports, several NATO allied aircraft took off, and on the Flightradar24 website, it was possible to see an American F-35 fighter jet and AWACS early warning aircraft operating in the area, which took off from Estonia. In addition, a Dutch air tanker also took part in the action, which took off from Eindhoven airport and was used to refuel combat aircraft in the air. The extent of the deployed forces is not yet known, but according to unofficial reports, the air forces of Poland, the United States of America, the Netherlands and Italy took part in the anti-drone operations.
The situation came shortly after Prime Minister Tusk announced that Poland would close its border with Belarus on Thursday due to “very aggressive” military exercises by Belarus and Russia. Tusk explained that the move was also a response to the increasing number of provocations by Russia and Belarus.
While in the past, violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones or missiles have been sporadic, today's incident is unprecedented in its scale. The airspace was allegedly violated by dozens of drones, some of which were aimed directly at Polish cities.
"The massive violation of Polish airspace, probably by Russian armed forces, goes right up to the very edge of NATO Article 5. Of course, this needs to be investigated and, if confirmed, evidence submitted to the UN Security Council and tough diplomatic and military countermeasures taken," retired General Pavol Macko said on social media.
"Putin is only escalating and expanding his war and testing the West. The longer he does not face tough resistance, the more aggressive he will become," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on the X social network.
Defense responds to threats
The Polish military described the violation of the airspace of the Republic of Poland, which occurred on Wednesday night, as"an act of aggression that created a real threat to the safety of citizens." The military said this in a statement that it also published on social media. The AFP agency also quoted it.
"As a result of today's attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory, there was an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drones. This is an act of aggression that created a real threat to the security of our citizens," the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces reported.
The army - according to the Onet.pl website - specified that, on the orders of the operational commander of the armed forces, defensive procedures were immediately initiated, with Polish and allied forces monitoring several dozen objects using radar. Those objects that could pose a threat were neutralized. Some of the drones that violated Polish airspace were shot down. The entire operation in the air was completed shortly before eight o'clock. However, operations on the ground continue and several armed forces in Poland remain on high alert.
Airport operations disrupted
Due to the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, operations at four airports in Poland were temporarily suspended on Wednesday night: in the cities of Rzeszów and Lublin and at two airports in Warsaw, the British BBC reported.
In the morning, operations at Warsaw and Rzeszów airports resumed. However, Lublin airport remains closed to civilian flights.
The Guardian reported that the Ukrainian Air Force had warned its Polish counterparts that Russian drones were heading west and threatening the Polish city of Zamosc, but Reuters reported that the message was later removed from the Telegram app.
Ukrainian media also reported that one of the drones was allegedly heading towards the Polish city of Rzeszów.
In this regard, Reuters specified that among those temporarily closed was Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, which is located in southeastern Poland and is a hub for transporting passengers and weapons to Ukraine.
The Polish operational command subsequently announced via the X network that not only Polish fighter jets but also aircraft from other NATO countries had taken off to ensure the security of Polish airspace. In addition, ground air defense forces had been placed on high alert.
The article further states that these actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the endangered area.
According to the Onet.pl website, the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces assured that it is monitoring the current situation and that forces and assets remain fully prepared for an immediate response.
The BBC, citing Ukrainian monitoring channels, reported that four or five drones had allegedly entered Polish airspace. The BBC added in the morning that there were no longer any in the airspace over Poland.
