Poland is responding to Russian drones by temporarily restricting air traffic in the eastern part of its territory. The decision was made at the request of the military following Russia's violation of Polish airspace: about 20 drones flew over Polish territory on the night of September 10, as the Russian armed forces launched another massive attack on Ukraine.
The measure will last three months and affects the entire eastern part of Poland except for the area bordering Lithuania and Kaliningrad. It will extend from dusk to dawn. At night, only military aircraft will be allowed to fly; during the day, only aircraft that have notified the Polish authorities of their flight will be allowed to fly. The measure will affect commercial passenger airlines.
It is an unprecedented measure following the unprecedented incursion on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. Russian drones were shot down for the first time on the territory of a NATO member state . The Russian Ministry of Defense declared that they were not planning to attack targets on Polish territory. Poland considers it a"provocation."
Latvia will also close its airspace along the borders with Russia and Belarus for a week. The airspace closure coincides with the planned start on Friday of the Zapad military exercises between Russia and Belarus, but the Latvian authorities did not mention this fact.
Poland has asked its NATO allies for additional air defense systems and anti-drone technology to better protect its territory from potential Russian incursions, Bloomberg reported. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland needed Patriot systems. Polish officials believe Russia carried out a deliberate provocation. NATO does not consider the drone intrusion in Poland an attack, a NATO source told Reuters.
It was an unprecedented situation: NATO aircraft engaged in combat over the territory of an allied country. The Ministry of the Interior announced, citing police data, that the wreckage of 16 drones had been found in Poland in Czosnówka, Czeniki, Krzywowierzba-Kolonia, Mniszków, Oleno, Wielki an, Wohy, Wyhalew, Wyryki, Zabocie-Kolonia, Nowe Miasto nad Pilic, Bychahawka Trzecia, Czyów, Sobótka, and between Rabiany and Sewerynów.
The Dutch government has already announced that it will provide Poland with two Patriot air defense systems, anti-drone weapons, and 300 troops by the end of 2025. The Czech government has promised to provide three Mi-171S helicopters. Poland yesterday requested the application of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. According to the Polish government, 19 airspace violations were recorded. Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that three drones were shot down, and that a fourth was likely as well.
"It was a saturation attack, the aim of which was to overwhelm air defenses using drones. Some of these drones, called decoys, violated Polish airspace," analyst Marek Kozubal wrote in the Rzeczpospolita newspaper. Soldiers are still searching for drone wreckage. Polish media report that some drones, usually Gerbera models, returned to Ukraine, while others flew deeper into the country. Most unusual: some drones flew over Belarus. Several were shot down by fighter jets.
