Poland says it shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace

Polish police and military on Wednesday inspect damage to a house from the debris of a drone that was shot down in the village of Wyryki-Wola, eastern Poland. Poland says it shot down several Russian attack drones that violated Polish airspace in overnight Russian attacks on neighboring Ukraine. Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images

KYIV and MOSCOW — Poland says it has shot down several Russian attack drones that violated Polish airspace amid overnight attacks on neighboring Ukraine — in what Polish authorities called an “act of aggression” by Moscow.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the incidents mark the first time a member of the NATO security alliance has destroyed Russian military assets in NATO airspace since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In a televised statement from Warsaw, Tusk said the Russian drones posed an immediate “threat.”

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“We are most likely dealing with a large-scale provocation, but we are in touch with our allies, and I’m in constant contact with the secretary-general of NATO to make sure everything is handled effectively,” Tusk said.

NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a statement that the airspace violation is “reckless behavior” and said several NATO allies were involved in shooting down the Russian drones.

NATO officials said in an online statement that Polish and Dutch aircraft were dispatched, and German Patriot air defense systems were involved.

A U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that there was no U.S. involvement in Poland’s shooting down of Russian drones.

President Trump reacted to the drone incursion by writing online, “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

Trump plans to speak with Polish President Karol Nawrocki later Wednesday, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the call.

General Wieslaw Kukula (center), chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, attends a government meeting in Warsaw, Wednesday, to discuss what Polish officials said were violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones. Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland/AP hide caption

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Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland/AP

It’s unclear how many drones crossed into Polish airspace. Ukraine’s air force said at least eight, while Tusk told Poland’s parliament there were 19 violations of suspected Russian drones overnight. Tusk also said some of the drones had crossed from Belarus, a Kremlin ally that borders both Ukraine and Poland.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Warsaw, Andrei Ordash, over the incidents. Afterward, Ordash called the accusations “groundless” and said Polish authorities had provided “no evidence” the drones were of Russian origin.

“Russia is absolutely not interested in any escalation with Poland,” Ordash said in an interview with Russia’s state RIA-Novosti news service.

The Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on incidents involving Russian drones — and directed queries to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russia’s Defense Ministry later issued a statement saying there were no planned targets for attack in Poland and suggested Polish territory was beyond the range of its drones.

The ministry said it was ready to “hold consultations” with its Polish counterpart over the incidents.

In this image made from video, Polish police and military police secure parts of a damaged object shot down by Polish authorities at a site in Wohyn, Poland, Wednesday. Rafal Niedzielski/AP hide caption

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Rafal Niedzielski/AP

Belarus’ chief of General Staff, Maj. Gen. Pavel Muraveiko, said that Belarusian air defense forces tracked “drones that lost their course” after they were jammed, according to The Associated Press. He said Belarus warned Poland and Lithuania about “unidentified aircraft” approaching their territory.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has a warm relationship with the Kremlin, wrote on social media that he stands with Poland over the airspace violations and supports President Trump’s efforts to end the war.

Russian drones have crossed into Polish territory before. For example, last month Poland’s defense minister said a suspected Russian drone had crashed in a cornfield in eastern Poland. But it has not happened on such a large scale.

The European Union’s top foreign policy official, Kaja Kallas, called it the most significant violation of European airspace since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this incursion was no accident — a view supported by some Ukrainian security analysts.

“It’s the deliberate policy of checking air defense and the procedures of NATO countries,” Hanna Shelest, director of security studies at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, told NPR.

“Because the weak reaction will immediately encourage the continuous action and increase of such activities,” Shelest said.

Germany’s government also refuted the possibility it was an accident.

“There is absolutely no indication that the incursion was down to a course correction, error or similar,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told lawmakers in Berlin. “Clearly, these drones were deliberately set on this course and did not need to fly this route to reach Ukraine. According to what we’re hearing from Poland, the drones were armed with ammunition. Something could have happened at any time.”

Zelenskyy called for a joint European air defense system to protect from Russian airspace incursions.

“Ukraine is also ready to help Poland build an effective system of warning and protection against such Russian threats,” he wrote on social media. “It is clear that Russian aggression poses a danger to every independent nation in our region, and therefore only joint and coordinated action can guarantee reliable security.”

Residents living in Polish regions bordering Ukraine were told to seek shelter. Poland also paused operations at four airports, including its main hub in Warsaw.

Meanwhile, Tusk urged Poles to remain calm and carry on.

“There’s no reason to panic. Life will go on as normal,” Tusk said. “At the moment, there’s no reason to introduce restrictions that would hinder daily life.”