Poland’s military shot down several drones that violated the country’s airspace early Monday, officials said, in an incident Warsaw linked to a Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine.
Polish defense officials said the operation to "neutralize objects that have violated and exceeded the border of the Republic of Poland is underway," Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk wrote on X. State leaders were notified and the military activated defensive procedures, officials said.
Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said the incursion was linked to a broader attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory and called the violation "unprecedented," saying it had posed a real threat to citizens. "Some of the drones that entered our airspace were shot down," the command said, adding that efforts were underway to search for and locate possible crash sites.
Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Territorial Defense Forces had been activated to conduct ground searches for downed drones and urged the public to remain calm and to share only official announcements. He warned people not to approach any fragments and to inform police if they encountered debris. Kosiniak-Kamysz also said the Polish military was in "constant contact with NATO command."
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was in constant contact with the president and the defense minister and had received a direct report from the operational commander. Polish officials said they planned to lodge a formal protest over the violation of airspace.
The incident came amid a wave of strikes on Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian emergency services and rescue workers reported damage in Kyiv from missile and drone strikes, including a blaze in a multistory apartment building, as authorities in Kyiv responded to the attacks.
Russian officials, meanwhile, said Ukrainian drones struck a nuclear power plant during the Independence Day attacks. That claim was made by Russian authorities and was not independently verified.
Poland’s Operational Command said Polish and allied forces and assets remained fully prepared for further actions and that the situation was being continuously monitored. Authorities were continuing ground searches and coordination with NATO to assess the scope of the airspace violations and any potential risks to people and infrastructure.
Polish officials did not immediately provide a full accounting of the number or origin of the drones, nor details on where any objects had crashed. The Operational Command said it would release further information as investigations and recovery operations proceed.