Preliminary data indicate that the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace was deliberate – a NATO source told Reuters. The source added that the Alliance does not consider this incident an attack. According to the source, it involved 6-10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The North Atlantic Council (NAC) is set to discuss on Wednesday the Alliance’s response to the drones that entered Polish territory last night.
According to a Reuters source in NATO, for the first time, Alliance aircraft engaged a potential threat in NATO airspace. The interlocutor specified that these were Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35 fighters, and Italian AWACS reconnaissance aircraft.
The source also said that NATO does not regard the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish territory as an attack. The interlocutor added that NATO Patriot air defense systems detected the drones using radar.
During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Polish Operational Command of the Armed Forces (DORSZ) reported that during Russia’s nighttime attack on Ukraine, Polish airspace was repeatedly violated by drones. To ensure the security of Polish airspace, the necessary procedures were activated. Around 7:40 a.m., DORSZ announced on X that air operations related to the violations of Polish airspace had ended. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the drones which could have posed a threat were shot down.