The United Kingdom summoned Russia’s ambassador to London on Monday after what the Foreign Office described as “significant and unprecedented” violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones over Poland and Romania.
Andrey Kelin was called in for a formal protest after allied governments reported a series of incursions in recent days that prompted the scrambling of fighter jets, air‑raid sirens and heightened military alert along NATO’s eastern flank. Polish and Romanian authorities said the incidents followed an earlier episode last week in which dozens of drones entered Polish airspace.
Romanian officials said two F-16s from the 86th Air Base in Fetești were launched after a Russian military drone was tracked about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Chilia Veche before vanishing from radar. The Romanian defence ministry said the drone "did not fly over populated areas and did not pose an immediate threat to the safety of the population." Polish authorities said sirens sounded and an air‑raid warning was issued as Polish and allied fighters responded to drones operating near the border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials told reporters the aircraft had been over NATO territory for some 50 minutes, a claim that Kyiv said reflected what it called an "obvious expansion of the war." Kyiv announced a major retaliatory operation that it said struck a defence‑linked chemicals plant in Russia more than 1,000 miles from the frontline and caused fires at two oil refineries; the strikes were described by Ukrainian spokespeople as responses to escalating Russian actions.
A Foreign Office spokesman condemned the incursions as "utterly unacceptable" and said the UK stood "united with Poland, Romania, Ukraine and our NATO Allies in unreservedly condemning these reckless actions." The spokesman said the incidents underlined that "defence of Ukraine against Putin's aggression is crucial to the security of the whole of Europe, including the UK," and warned that "any further incursions will again be met with force."
NATO said it had lodged formal protests with Moscow and highlighted the alliance's stepped‑up activity on its eastern flank. The organisation's secretary general this week announced measures to bolster defences, including deployment of new technologies such as counter‑drone sensors and weapons, to deter and respond to unmanned aerial threats.
Poland and Romania — both NATO members sharing borders with Ukraine or its coastal approaches — have repeatedly reported Russian drone activity since the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022. Last week’s episode, in which dozens of drones were reported to have entered Polish airspace, prompted fresh diplomatic protests and reinforced allied concern about spillover risks and the evolving use of unmanned systems.
Analysts say the incidents reflect a pattern of increasingly complex and deniable operations involving long‑range drones that can test air‑defence responses and political thresholds among NATO members. NATO and national militaries have cited the need to adapt air‑defence systems and to integrate counter‑drone capabilities as the unmanned threat has grown in frequency and range.
The British action to summon the ambassador follows similar diplomatic démarches from NATO capitals and comes amid intensified allied discussions on how to prevent further incursions without escalating to a wider confrontation. Moscow has not yet issued an immediate account matching the descriptions provided by NATO members and Kyiv.
The Foreign Office said it would continue to coordinate closely with NATO partners on defensive measures and diplomatic responses. Officials emphasised that allied measures aim to deter future violations while preserving the alliance's commitment to collective defence and the security of European territory.
Reporting on the full sequence and responsibility for the incidents is ongoing, with NATO and national defence ministries continuing to share assessments. The developments add to a tense period of military and diplomatic activity in Europe as allies weigh additional steps to guard frontline states and deter further cross‑border operations.