NATO invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty amid the Russian drone attack on Polish territory. This was stated by the country's government spokesman Adam Szlapka on air Polsat News .
According to him, consultations have already taken place within the framework of this procedure.
What does this mean?
Article 4 provides that Member States may hold joint consultations when they consider that there is a threat to the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Member States.
"The Parties shall consult together whenever, in the opinion of either of them, there is a threat to the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties," the article states.
"In the history of the North Atlantic Alliance, starting in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked seven times. Poland did so in 2022 together with a group of allies in connection with Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, and earlier, in 2014, in connection with the crisis in Crimea and Donbas caused by Russia," Polsat News recalled.
Russian attack on Poland - what is known
As UNIAN wrote, on the night of September 10, Polish airspace More than 10 drones flew in. At the time, the country's defense minister reported that the drones that could have posed a threat had been shot down.
However, in Poland Russian drone crashed into a residential building. The drone debris damaged the roof of a house and a car, there were no injuries or deaths.
After this attack, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appealed to Putin with a"clear message". According to him, such a violation of Polish airspace was"absolutely reckless".
"My message to Putin is clear. Stop the war in Ukraine. Stop violating allied airspace. And know that we are ready, that we are vigilant, and that we will defend every inch of NATO territory," Rutte stressed.
At the same time, Moscow reacted to Russian UAV attack in Poland They emphasized that the country had not provided any evidence that the drones shot down in the country were of Russian origin.
