Warsaw (BN24) – Poland said Wednesday that its military and NATO allies shot down multiple Russian drones that violated Polish airspace overnight as Moscow carried out one of its largest aerial bombardments of Ukraine in months. Warsaw condemned the incident as an “act of aggression,” escalating fears of the war spilling into NATO territory.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on social media that Polish airspace was penetrated by “a large number” of drones, and those posing a direct threat were neutralized. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said more than 10 Russian drones crossed into Polish territory, thanking NATO Air Command and the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force for assisting with F-35 fighter jets.
The Polish armed forces were placed on heightened alert as the drones entered from Ukraine during what they described as “further massive airstrikes” by Russia. Officials confirmed that Warsaw’s Chopin Airport suspended flights for several hours due to the temporary closure of airspace linked to military operations.
In the Lublin region, a house in the village of Wyryki was struck by what local officials said was either a missile or drone. Mayor Bernard Blaszczuk said people were inside but no one was injured. Military search teams are now combing eastern Poland for possible crash sites, warning residents to avoid unidentified objects that may pose a safety risk.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said early reports suggest the drone incursion was intentional. She described it as the “most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began” and called for stronger support for Ukraine, adding that Moscow’s aggression is “escalating, not ending.” NATO confirmed that “numerous drones” entered Polish territory and said the alliance’s 32 envoys will meet to discuss the incident.
Poland has previously reported Russian projectiles entering its skies during attacks on Ukraine. In August, officials blamed Moscow for a drone crash in a Polish cornfield, calling it a provocation. In March, a Russian missile briefly crossed into Polish territory, and in 2022, a Ukrainian-fired missile aimed at intercepting a Russian strike landed in Poland, killing two people.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 415 strike and decoy drones, 42 cruise missiles, and one ballistic missile overnight, with 386 drones and 27 cruise missiles intercepted. At least eight drones crossed into Poland’s direction. Inside Ukraine, Russian drones killed at least two people and injured several others in Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Cherkasy regions, while damaging homes, factories, and power infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Moscow said its own forces destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, Crimea, and the Black Sea. The incident comes ahead of major joint Russian-Belarusian war games, “Zapad 2025,” scheduled to begin Friday in Belarus. The drills, running through Sept. 16, will simulate repelling airstrikes and sabotage, underscoring military cooperation between Moscow and Minsk and raising alarm in Kyiv and neighboring NATO states.
AP
