Poland scrambled fighter jets and, for the first time, used weapons to shoot down “hostile objects” that violated its airspace during a wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Polish aircraft had engaged aerial objects and that the government remained “in constant contact with NATO command.” The move marks the first instance of a NATO member intercepting and firing on foreign aircraft or drones since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The incident coincided with a Russian barrage of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, including in the western city of Lviv, just 80 kilometres from the Polish border. While Russian weapons have strayed into NATO territory several times over the past three and a half years, allies until now had stopped short of attempting to destroy them.
Poland’s military command described the violations as “unprecedented,” reporting that around a dozen drone-type objects entered Polish airspace, some of which were successfully downed. “This is an act of aggression that has created a real threat to the safety of our citizens,” it said in a statement.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that an operation was underway in response to “multiple violations of Polish airspace.” The government later announced an extraordinary cabinet meeting would be held early Thursday morning to address the crisis.
The incursion prompted a temporary closure of airspace in affected regions. Warsaw’s Chopin Airport confirmed flights were halted as a precaution.
President Karol Nawrocki, who has struck a hawkish tone since taking office, warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could extend his aggression beyond Ukraine. Speaking in Helsinki a day earlier, Nawrocki told reporters: “We do not trust Vladimir Putin’s good intentions. We believe that Vladimir Putin is ready to also invade other countries.”
Poland, a frontline NATO state and one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, has provided military equipment, hosted Western aid convoys, and taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees. The country has also experienced repeated airspace incidents since the war began. Last month, a Russian drone exploded in farmland in eastern Poland, which Warsaw labelled a “provocation.” In 2023, a Russian missile was reported to have crossed into Polish territory en route to Ukraine, while in late 2022, two civilians were killed when a Ukrainian air defence missile struck a border village.
NATO’s Article 5 principle, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all, has so far deterred Russia from deliberate escalation with alliance states. But the latest incident is likely to heighten tensions and raise questions over how far the alliance is prepared to go in defending its members’ airspace.
