Ukraine War: "Act of Aggression" against Poland

During Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, Poland's air force destroyed drones that had entered the NATO country's airspace. The Armed Forces High Command called it an "act of aggression" that posed a real threat to the security of the population. Some of the drones were shot down.

Tusk: NATO takes situation "very seriously"

According to the government in Warsaw, the drones originated in Russia . Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described this as a "provocation of great proportions."

"This is the first case of Russian drones being shot down over the territory of a NATO member state, which is why all our allies are taking the situation very seriously," Tusk said after a government emergency meeting in Warsaw. "We must, without a doubt, prepare for various scenarios."

Poland has since requested consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. This article provides for consultations with allies if a member of the Alliance considers itself threatened.

Poland's Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the army's homeland security units had been instructed to search the ground for debris from the downed drones. He appealed to citizens not to approach the debris and to inform the police if they found it.

Media reported, citing police, that a drone struck a residential building in the east of the country. However, no one was injured in the town of Wyryki.

Impact on air traffic

Four Polish airports were temporarily closed, including Warsaw Chopin Airport and Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport. The latter is considered a key hub for arms deliveries to Ukraine. The army has since announced the end of this measure. Travelers should expect delays until operations return to normal.

Zelensky and Kallas: No accident

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately using the drones against Poland. He claimed on the online platform X that it was not an accident, and that this was a further step in the escalation. Zelenskyy called the incident an "extremely dangerous precedent for Europe." Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin will not stop "testing the West" as long as he does not receive "a decisive response" to Russia's aggression, added Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also stated that there are "signs that it was deliberate, not accidental." Kallas added that this was the "most serious violation of European airspace by Russia since the start of the war." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured the European Parliament in Strasbourg: "Europe stands with Poland in full solidarity."

EU member Poland is an important political and military ally of Ukraine, which it borders directly. The country plays a central role as a logistical hub for Western military aid.

Poland also feels threatened by Russia and is massively rearming. The country has been on heightened alert since a stray Ukrainian rocket struck a village in southern Poland in 2022, killing two people.

wa/se (dpa. afp, rtr)