Poland says it shot down Russian drones after airspace violation

[ad_1] Adam Easton in Warsaw and

Jaroslav Lukiv

Poland closest to open battle since World Warfare Two, warns PM

Not less than three Russian drones had been shot down by Polish and different Nato plane in Poland's airspace throughout in a single day assaults on Ukraine, the Polish prime minister has mentioned.

Donald Tusk mentioned Poland had recorded 19 drone incursions, with some flying deep sufficient to quickly shut 4 airports, together with Warsaw's important hub Chopin.

"This case brings us the closest we have now been to open battle since World Warfare Two," he mentioned. That is the primary time Russian drones have been downed over Nato territory since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia's defence ministry mentioned there had been "no plans" to focus on amenities on Polish soil.

"The utmost vary of the Russian drones that allegedly crossed into Poland doesn't exceed 700km (435 miles)", the ministry mentioned in a press release, including that it was "prepared" to carry consultations with the Polish defence ministry.

Russia's non permanent cost d'affaires in Poland mentioned Warsaw had not supplied proof that the drones had been of Russian origin.

Belarus, a detailed Russian ally, claimed the drones entered Polish airspace unintentionally after their navigation techniques had been jammed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the most recent assault was "a particularly harmful precedent for Europe", whereas Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned it confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin "continues to escalate, expands the struggle".

US President Donald Trump wrote on social media platform Reality Social on Wednesday: "What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Right here we go!"

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1eb8/live/892f03a0-8e46-11f0-b199-41ee52afc86b.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="EPA/Shutterstock Polish military and drone experts inspect the crash site of a Russian drone in the village of Wohyń, eastern Poland. Photo: 10 September 2025" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> EPA/Shutterstock Polish navy and drone specialists examine the crash web site of a Russian drone within the village of Wohyń, japanese Poland

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7b26/live/4b5f2e30-8e67-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters A destroyed roof of a house in Wyryki, Poland's eastern Lublin region, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace. Photo: 10 September 2025" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> Reuters A destroyed roof of a home in Wyryki, Poland's japanese Lublin area, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace

Addressing Polish lawmakers on Wednesday, Tusk mentioned three - or maybe 4 - drones had been shot down in a single day.

He mentioned Polish authorities had no info suggesting anybody was injured or died "because of the Russian motion".

"The truth that these drones, which posed a safety risk, had been shot down adjustments the political state of affairs.

"I've no purpose to assert we're on the point of struggle, however a line has been crossed, and it is incomparably extra harmful than earlier than."

Inside Ministry spokeswoman Karolina Gałecka mentioned on Wednesday night authorities had discovered 15 drones. Most had been situated within the japanese Lublin area, bordering Belarus and Ukraine. 5 had been found in central, western and southern Poland, a lot farther from the borders, she added.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0c2e/live/ace2bb40-8e30-11f0-84c8-99de564f0440.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Map shows area in which a drone attack happened overnight. With Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine labelled. The label for where the drone was found, Czosnówka, is a village in eastern Poland, about 40km (25 miles) from the border with Belarus. There are also labels to show where four airports were temporarily shut in Poland, including two in Warsaw, due to the drone strike. " class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> Tusk additionally mentioned he had requested to invoke Article 4 of the Nato treaty, which formally begins pressing consultations inside the 32-member alliance.

Poland is a member state of Nato - which ties the US and lots of European nations collectively on collective defence.

Each Tusk and Nawrocki mentioned they had been in "common contact" with Nato Secretary Basic Mark Rutte, who praised a "very profitable response" by the alliance.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c379/live/7312e5e0-8e33-11f0-b783-b73528cf380c.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="X/Podolyak_M An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - Mykhailo Podolyak - has posted this map on social media, which he says shows Russian drones over Ukraine last night. Some of the drones are shown to be entering Poland.

" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> X/Podolyak_M Ukrainian official Mykhailo Podolyak shared a map from a Telegram channel - run by volunteers that tracks aerial assaults - which he says exhibits Russian drones over Ukraine - some will be seen getting into Poland

The Polish defence ministry informed the BBC that the drones, "which may have posed a risk, had been shot down pre-emptively".

"Polish and Nato plane, together with F-35, F-16, and MI-24, MI-17, and Black Hawk helicopters, had been dispatched to the supposed space of operation. Floor-based air defence and radar reconnaissance techniques had been additionally positioned on most alert."

Poland's navy additionally thanked Nato's Air Command and the Netherlands for deploying F-35 fighter jets.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5c4c/live/9c5ec160-8e0d-11f0-8bee-8501c5d73579.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters General Wiesław Kukuła, chief of the General Staff of the Polish armed forces arrives for an extraordinary government meeting at the chancellery of the prime minister in Warsaw. Photo: 10 September 2025" class="sc-86c96223-0 fHZDyi"/> Reuters Polish navy's Gen Wiesław Kukuła attends an emergency assembly with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

The Russian drones that entered Poland had been a part of the most recent main aerial assault on Ukraine, with Kyiv reporting that greater than 400 drones and 42 missiles had been launched.

Poland has recorded particular person aerial incursions on a number of events since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, together with one which killed two Polish farmers close to the Ukrainian border in November 2022.

However the newest incident was certainly one of a special magnitude, Justyna Gotkowska, deputy director for the Warsaw-based Centre for Jap Research, informed the BBC - important "due to the size, a number of drones armed and unarmed."

The drones had been a "Russian provocation" designed to check Poland's potential to react "in a really polarised political state of affairs" and exploit current divisions, she mentioned.

However, "the response on the Polish aspect was united, civil, navy and political, Polish-Nato co-ordination."

Miroslaw Kaznowski - deputy mayor of MIlanówek, a city outdoors Warsaw - mentioned he was happy by the authorities' response, however pressured that small cities like his urgently wanted to do extra to have the ability to shield themselves.

"We have to be ready. This has all now gone increased on the agenda," he informed the BBC, including that MIlanówek was now constructing a multi-functional hearth station that will be used for disaster administration.