Drones have entered Polish airspace several times in the past – now, for the first time, the air force shot down Russian aircraft. Prime Minister Tusk called it a provocation, and the EU is also alarmed.
Poland claims to have destroyed Russian drones that had entered its airspace for the first time. During a Russian attack on Ukraine, its airspace was repeatedly violated by drones, the Polish military command reported. The army reported more than a dozen drones. Some were shot down.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the drones were Russian."We are dealing with a large-scale provocation," Tusk said. Poland is prepared to repel such provocations. He is in constant contact with the army leadership, the defense minister, and the president, he added on social media. The government is discussing the situation at a special meeting.
"This is an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the security of the population," said a statement from the High Command of the Armed Forces on X.
Search for downed drones
NATO leadership has been informed, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced. The army's homeland security units have been instructed to search the ground for debris from the downed drones. According to police, the first drone was found in the eastern Polish village of Czosnowka.
Kosiniak-Kamysz appealed to citizens not to approach debris and to inform the police if they find it. Residents in the Podlaskie, Mazovia, and Lublin regions were urged to stay at home.
The drones' intrusion into Polish airspace was preceded by hours of Russian air strikes on western Ukraine.
Temporary closure of airports
Four airports have been temporarily closed, and some flights had to be diverted. At Warsaw Chopin Airport, Poland's largest airport, planes are now able to take off and land again. However, travelers should still expect delays. Flight operations have also resumed at the country's other airports that were initially closed, including Lublin in eastern Poland.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke of the"most serious violation of European airspace by Russia since the beginning of the war," according to X. There are indications"that this was intentional and not accidental."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately sending the drones to Poland. Zelenskyy wrote on the short message service X that it was not a single drone that could be described as an accident. At least eight drones were aimed at the NATO member state. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop"testing the West" until he receives "a decisive response" to Russia's aggression.
Poland's role in the war against Ukraine
In recent weeks, drones have repeatedly entered the airspace over Poland and crashed. No one was injured. The Defense Minister had already stated on Tuesday that the drones could be shot down in the future if it was justifiable. The decision would have to be made by the army on a case-by-case basis.
Poland, an EU and NATO member, is an important political and military ally of Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. The country also serves as a central logistical hub for Western military aid to Kyiv.
