Poland said it shot down at least three unmanned aerial vehicles after multiple objects entered its airspace during a large-scale Russian assault on Ukraine overnight, in what Prime Minister Donald Tusk described as the closest the country has been to open conflict since World War Two.
Tusk told parliament that Poland had recorded 19 drone incursions, with some flying deep enough to force temporary closures at four airports, including Warsaw’s main Chopin hub. He said three or possibly four drones were shot down and that there were no reports of injuries or deaths "as a result of the Russian action." The prime minister called for urgent consultations among NATO members under Article 4 of the alliance treaty.
Polish authorities later said searches had recovered seven drones and the remains of an unidentified object across the country. Interior ministry spokeswoman Karolina Galecka said five of the drones and the unidentified debris were found in Lublin province in the east, near the borders with Belarus and Ukraine, and two were discovered in central and northern Poland. One drone was recovered about 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the Belarus border in Łódź province.
The Polish military said its radar and NATO aircraft tracked the objects and that Polish and allied fighters and helicopters were dispatched to the area. A later defence ministry statement said the drones, which could have posed a threat, were shot down pre-emptively and named aircraft types involved, including F-35 and F-16 jets and various helicopters. NATO Air Command and the Netherlands were thanked for deploying F-35 fighter jets to assist.
Flight operations were suspended for hours at Warsaw Chopin and Modlin airports, and at Rzeszów–Jasionka and Lublin, with several inbound flights diverted to other Polish cities and abroad. Chopin airport warned that disruptions and delays could persist throughout the day after airspace was re-opened.
Ukrainian authorities said the incursions formed part of a major overnight aerial attack on Ukraine in which Kyiv's air force reported that more than 400 drones and 42 cruise missiles were launched before midnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the incident as "an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe," and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it demonstrated that Russian President Vladimir Putin "continues to escalate, expands the war."
Moscow denied intending to target facilities in Poland and said in a statement that "the maximum range of the Russian drones that allegedly crossed into Poland does not exceed 700km (435 miles)," adding it was ready to hold consultations with the Polish defence ministry. Russia's temporary chargé d'affaires in Warsaw said Poland had not provided evidence that the drones were of Russian origin.
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, said the drones entered Polish airspace accidentally after their navigation systems were jammed. Poland's operational command said the violations were "unprecedented" and that searches to locate potential crash sites and debris were continuing. Polish authorities urged the public not to approach or move unfamiliar objects or debris, warning they could be hazardous.
Tusk convened an emergency government meeting and sought consultations among NATO allies under Article 4, which triggers urgent talks when a member's security is threatened. Polish leaders said they were in contact with NATO leadership and allies; the Dutch prime minister praised a "very successful reaction" by the alliance. NATO said the situation was being investigated.
Polish authorities placed air-defence and radar systems on high alert and asked residents in border regions, including Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lublin voivodeships, to remain vigilant. The military said its operation had ended but cautioned that searches and safety work would continue as forensic and technical teams examined debris found across the country.
The incident marks the first confirmed time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that drones reportedly launched from attacks on Ukraine were downed over the territory of a NATO member. Investigations by Polish and allied authorities are ongoing to determine the origin and trajectory of the objects and to assess any implications for NATO's collective defence commitments.