NEW YORK and LONDON — Polish airspace was violated by at the least 19 Russian drones in a single day, the nation’s prime minister mentioned, in a torrent of exercise that triggered a response from the NATO nation’s air power, which scrambled and downed a number of of the drones.
“These drones that posed a direct menace had been shot down,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk mentioned early on Wednesday on social media. “I’m in fixed communication with the Secretary-Basic of NATO and our allies.”
Polish and allied plane — together with Dutch F-35 fighter jets — had been airborne in a single day to “assist guarantee security in Polish skies,” the navy mentioned. These operations ended early on Wednesday, Warsaw mentioned, including that the search continued for downed drones and potential impression websites.
Individuals watch as a home is broken after a drone or related object struck a residential constructing in accordance with native authorities, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Wyryki municipality, Poland September 10, 2025
Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl through Reuters
The nation’s navy command described the violations as “unprecedented,” saying they amounted to “an act of aggression that posed an actual menace to the protection of our residents.”
Polish authorities didn’t report any casualties associated to the drone incursion.
Tusk mentioned this marked the primary time in historical past that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory, which he mentioned “modifications the political scenario.”
Tusk instructed parliament on Wednesday that Warsaw had requested the invocation of NATO Article 4. The clause permits a NATO member to convene a gathering of allies to seek the advice of on a problem that might threaten its safety.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk holds a unprecedented authorities assembly on the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, with navy and emergency companies officers, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
“Right this moment we should say very loudly and clearly to the whole Western world and all our allies — Article 4 is barely the start of deeper cooperation for the safety of our skies and our border, which is NATO’s border, and phrases alone are certainly not sufficient,” Tusk mentioned.
“This isn’t only a conflict for Ukrainians,” he added. “This can be a confrontation that Russia has declared in opposition to the whole free world.”
Tusk mentioned that at the least 19 Russian drones entered the nation’s airspace late Tuesday and into early Wednesday, a few of which crossed over from Belarus, and at the least three had been subsequently shot down by Polish and NATO forces.
Poland beforehand invoked Article 4 on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which triggered pressing NATO consultations on the time.
NATO Secretary-Basic Mark Rutte was “consulting carefully with Poland,” Allison Hart, a spokesperson for the bloc, mentioned on social media. She confirmed “quite a few” drones had entered Poland and mentioned that NATO defenses had been activated.
NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe mentioned in an announcement to social media that German Patriot surface-to-air missile techniques based mostly in Poland had been positioned on alert and that an Italian airborne early warning plane was deployed. A NATO aerial refueling plane was additionally launched.
Elements of a broken UAV shot down by Polish authorities lie at a web site, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace throughout an assault on Ukraine, close to Zamosc, Jaroslawiec area, Poland, September 10, 2025, on this screengrab obtained from a video.
TVN through Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident as “merely unacceptable.” He in a publish to X, “I name on Russia to place an finish to this reckless escalation. I reiterate to the Polish folks and their authorities our full solidarity.”
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in publish to X, “Europe is in a battle. A battle for our liberty and our potential to find out our future for ourselves.”
“Right this moment, we’ve seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s [airspace] by greater than 10 Russian Shahed drones,” von der Leyen added. “Europe stands in full solidarity with Poland.”
Basic Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the Basic Workers of the Polish Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief of Police Marek Boron stand on the Chancellery of the Prime Minister for a unprecedented authorities assembly, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland, September 10, 2025.
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
European Union international affairs chief Kaja Kallas described the incident as “probably the most severe European airspace violation by Russia because the conflict started,” including that “and indications counsel it was intentional, not unintended.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early on Wednesday described the violation as “one other escalation step.”
“An especially harmful precedent for Europe,” he mentioned in Ukrainian on the messaging app Telegram.
It was not instantly clear whether or not Russia had supposed to ship the drones into NATO airspace. Russian and Ukrainian drones have been identified to go off track throughout long-range strikes as a consequence of digital warfare measures employed by the combatants.
The incursions occurred throughout a significant Russian strike on Ukraine, which the air power in Kyiv mentioned consisted of 415 drones and 35 missiles. Of these, 386 drones and 27 missiles had been intercepted or suppressed, the air power mentioned.
F-16 Jet Fighter of Polish Air Pressure, pictured throughout climb.
Marcin Rozpedowski/Getty Photographs
The Kremlin didn’t instantly challenge an announcement however Zelenskyy positioned the violation as something however an accident — saying it might need been thought of one if it had been only one drone that crossed the border.
Zelenskyy known as for penalties for Russia, saying Moscow “should really feel that the conflict can’t be expanded and should be ended.”
Navy officers in Poland earlier mentioned the nation’s airspace was “repeatedly violated by drone-type objects” within the in a single day hours amid Russian strikes on targets in Ukraine.
“An operation is underway aimed toward figuring out and neutralizing the objects,” the Polish navy mentioned in one among its preliminary statements, every of which urged folks to remain at dwelling.
Probably the most threatened areas had been Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lubelskie, Poland mentioned. Polish safety companies mentioned they despatched an SMS message to cellphones within the space — sending the kind of alert that is develop into a nightly incidence in neighboring Ukraine.
A soldier is pictured after a drone or related object struck a residential constructing, in accordance with native authorities, in Wyryki municipality, Poland, on Sept. 10, 2025.
Jakub Orzechowski / Agencja Wybo/Agencja Wyborcza.pl through Reuters
Earlier, the Polish navy mentioned it had scrambled jets and was taking “preventative” motion through the “huge assault” carried out by Russia on amenities in Ukraine.
“Polish and allied plane are working in our airspace, and ground-based air protection and radar reconnaissance techniques have reached the best state of readiness,” the navy mentioned within the earlier assertion.
Tusk, the Polish prime minister, convened a unprecedented authorities assembly early on Wednesday, bringing collectively the nation’s emergency and navy officers.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who additionally serves as international affairs minister, met previous to that assembly with Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian international affairs minister, in accordance with Poland. Jacek Najder, Poland’s consultant to NATO, was additionally current, the nation’s International Ministry mentioned.
“The safety of Polish men and women is the best precedence,” the ministry mentioned previous to the assembly.
Tusk within the emergency cupboard assembly mentioned the there was “no motive to panic,” in accordance with the Chancellery.
“The procedures had been applied appropriately, the decision-making course of was flawless, and the menace was successfully eradicated because of the resolute actions of commanders, troopers, and our allies,” Tusk mentioned through the assembly, in accordance with his workplace. “I’m deeply grateful.”
Troopers patrol the road after a drone or related object struck a residential constructing in accordance with native authorities, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Wyryki municipality, Poland September 10, 2025.
Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl through Reuters
The Protection Ministry in Belarus — which is aligned with Russia and has assisted its invasion of Ukraine — mentioned in an announcement that its forces additionally downed drones that went off track “on account of the impression of the events’ digital warfare belongings.”
Minsk mentioned it shared data with neighboring Poland and Lithuania concerning the incoming drones. “This allowed the Polish facet to reply promptly to the actions of the drones by scrambling their forces on obligation,” the ministry mentioned.
The ministry added that Polish forces had additionally notified Belarusian forces of incoming unidentified plane from Ukrainian territory.
A Lithuanian Protection Ministry official instructed ABC Information that there have been no violations of Lithuanian airspace in a single day.
In Romania — which borders Ukraine to its southwest — the Protection Ministry mentioned two F-16 fighter jets had been scrambled in response to a “group of aerial drones within the space of the Ukrainian city of Valcov, on the border with Romania.”
No drones entered Romanian airspace, the ministry mentioned in an announcement.
ABC Information’ Dada Jovanovic, Morgan Winsor, Natalia Popova, Oleskiy Pshemyskiy and Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.
