Poland says it shot down Russian drones after airspace violation

At least three Russian drones were shot down by Polish and other Nato aircraft in Poland’s airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine, the Polish prime minister has said.

Donald Tusk told MPs Poland had recorded 19 drone incursions, with some flying deep enough to temporarily close four airports, including Warsaw’s main hub Chopin.

“This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two,” he said. This is the first time Russian drones have been downed over the territory of a Nato member since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia’s defence ministry said “there had been no plans to target facilities on the territory of Poland.”

“The maximum range of the Russian drones that allegedly crossed into Poland does not exceed 700km (435 miles)”, the ministry said in a statement.

“Nevertheless, we are ready to hold consultations with the Polish defence ministry on this subject,” it added.

Russia’s temporary charge d’affaires in Poland said Warsaw had not provided evidence that the drones were of Russian origin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the latest attack was “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe”, while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “continues to escalate, expands the war”.

Addressing Polish lawmakers on Wednesday, Tusk said three – or perhaps four – drones were shot down overnight.

He said Polish authorities had no information suggesting anyone was injured or died “as a result of the Russian action”.

“The fact that these drones, which posed a security threat, were shot down changes the political situation.

“I have no reason to claim we’re on the brink of war, but a line has been crossed, and it’s incomparably more dangerous than before.

Separately, an interior ministry spokeswoman said authorities found seven drones and the remains of an unidentified object in sites across the country.

Karolina Galecka told a news conference that five of the drones and the remains of the unidentified object were found in different locations in Lublin province in eastern Poland, bordering Belarus and Ukraine.

Two of the drones were discovered in central and northern Poland, much further from the borders, she said.

One was discovered in a field in Mniszków, in Łódź province in central Poland, about 250 km (155 miles) from the Belarusian border. Another was discovered near the city of Elbląg in northern Poland.

Tusk, who convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning, has asked to invoke article 4 of the Nato treaty, which formally starts urgent talks between members of the alliance.

Poland is a member state of Nato – which ties the US and many European nations together on collective defence.

Both Tusk and Polish President Karol Nawrocki have said they are in “regular contact” with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, who praised a “very successful reaction” by the alliance.

“The security of our homeland is our highest priority and requires close cooperation,” President Nawrocki said on X.

Rutte added that the situation is being investigated, as he condemned Russia’s “reckless behaviour”, irrespective of whether it was deliberate.

Belarus, a close Russian ally, claimed the drones entered Polish airspace accidentally after their navigation systems were jammed.

Overnight, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said the drones were tracked by radar by both Polish and Nato aircraft stationed in the country.

The military said: “As a result of the attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory, there was an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects.

“Searches and efforts to locate the potential crash sites of these objects are ongoing.”

In a later statement made to the BBC, the Polish defence ministry said: “The drones, which could have posed a threat, were shot down pre-emptively.

“Polish and Nato aircraft, including F-35, F-16, and MI-24, MI-17, and Black Hawk helicopters, were dispatched to the intended area of operation. Ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems were also placed on maximum alert.”

The Polish military also thanked Nato’s Air Command and the Netherlands for deploying F-35 fighter jets.

Although Poland’s military operation has ended, it urged people to stay at home, naming Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions as most at risk.

“With the safety of citizens in mind, we urge that in the event of observing an unknown object or its debris, do not approach, touch, or move it,” the military wrote on X.

“Such elements may pose a threat and contain hazardous materials. They must be thoroughly inspected by the appropriate services.”

Flight operations were suspended for hours at Warsaw’s Chopin and Modlin airports, as well as at Rzeszów–Jasionka and Lublin.

A number of flights which had been due to land at Chopin airport were diverted to Gdansk, Katowice, Wroclaw, Poznan and Copenhagen.

After airspace over the capital was re-opened, Chopin airport said disruptions and delays may last throughout the day and warned passengers to expect delays.

The Russian drones that entered Poland were part of the latest major aerial attack on Ukraine.

In total, Ukraine’s air force reported more than 400 drones and 42 cruise missiles were launched just before midnight and the bombardment lasted throughout the night.