Tusk said this marked the first time in history that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory, which he said “changes the political situation.”
“This is not within our competence, it is the prerogative of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” Peskov told reporters.
“Today, we have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s [airspace] by more than 10 Russian Shahed drones,” von der Leyen added.
Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, meanwhile, said in a post to X, “We stand by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
It was not immediately clear whether Russia had intended to send the drones into NATO airspace.
NEW YORK and LONDON — The prime minister of Poland reported that at least 19 Russian drones had invaded Polish airspace overnight. The flurry of activity prompted the NATO nation’s air force to respond, scrambling and bringing down multiple drones.
Early on Wednesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on social media, “Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.”. “I stay in close contact with our allies and the NATO Secretary-General. “..”.
In order to “help ensure safety in Polish skies,” the military said, two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s were dropped. Warsaw stated that the search for downed drones and possible impact sites was still ongoing, but the operations came to an end early on Wednesday.
Described as “unprecedented,” the violations constituted “an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens,” according to the nation’s military command. “.
According to Polish authorities, there were no casualties from the drone incursion.
This “changes the political situation,” according to Tusk, as it was the first time in history that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory. “..”.
On Wednesday, Tusk informed lawmakers that Warsaw had asked for NATO Article 4 to be invoked. A NATO member may call an allies’ meeting to discuss a matter that might jeopardize its security under this clause.
“We have to make it very clear and loud to the whole Western world and all of our allies today that Article 4 is just the start of deeper cooperation for the security of our skies and our border, which is NATO’s border, and that words alone are by no means enough,” Tusk stated.
Adding, “This is not just a war for Ukrainians,”. Russia has declared war on the free world in this conflict. “..”.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin “laughs at President Trump’s peace efforts,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said at a press conference.
Referring to the face-to-face meeting between the Russian and American presidents last month, Sikorski stated, “Since Alaska he has only intensified the war.”.
Sikorski said of Trump, “I hope that he backs his words with action,” alluding to recent statements the president made upon welcoming his Polish counterpart to the White House in September. 3. .
“We’re with Poland all the way and we will help Poland protect itself,” Trump declared during that meeting. “,”.
According to Tusk, at least three of the 19 Russian drones that entered the nation’s airspace late Tuesday and early Wednesday were shot down by Polish and NATO forces. Some of the drones came from Belarus.
Poland had already used Article 4 in February. 24, 2022, the day Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which at the time led to urgent NATO talks.
In a statement Wednesday morning, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that following Poland’s Article 4 request, talks had taken place among allies. Rutte stated, “Allies denounced Russia’s reckless behavior and expressed solidarity with Poland.”. “A thorough investigation into the incident is still in progress. It’s evident that last night’s infraction is not an isolated occurrence. “..”.
Rutte went on to say, “Allies are resolved to defend every inch of allied territory,”. “With our air defenses always ready, we will keep a careful eye on the situation along our eastern flank. “.
U. S. According to a White House official who spoke to ABC News, President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Polish President Karol Nawrocki Wednesday. The White House and Trump are “tracking the reports out of Poland,” the official continued. “,”.
German Patriot surface-to-air missile systems located in Poland were put on alert, and an Italian airborne early warning aircraft was used during the incursion, according to a social media statement from NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). Also launched was a NATO aerial refueling plane.
Col. The Martin L. According to a statement from SHAPE spokesperson O’Donnell, “This is the first time NATO aircraft have interacted with possible threats in Allied airspace. “,”.
On Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, directed questions from reporters to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
Peskov told reporters, “This is the prerogative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and it is not within our competence.”.
Peskov responded, “The EU and NATO leadership accuse Russia of provocation on a daily basis, most often without even trying to present any arguments,” when asked about the European and NATO claims that Russia was responsible for the incident. “,”.
Russia has not received any requests for contact from Poland’s leadership, Peskov added.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated in a post on Telegram that its “massive strike” was limited to targets inside Ukraine. “There were no planned targets on Polish territory,” it stated.
“Simply unacceptable” is how French President Emmanuel Macron described the incident. In a post addressed to X, he said, “I urge Russia to stop this careless spiral. I express my unwavering support for the Polish people and their government once more. “..”.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, wrote on X: “Europe is fighting. an effort to defend our freedom and our right to choose our own fate. “.”.
“We have witnessed an unprecedented and careless breach of Poland’s and Europe’s [airspace] by over ten Russian Shahed drones today,” von der Leyen continued. “Europe supports Poland wholeheartedly. “..”.
In addition to calling the incident “the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began,” European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said that “indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental.”. “..”.
U. S. “We stand by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory,” said Matthew Whitaker, the ambassador to NATO, in a post to X. “,”.
Early Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the violation “another escalation step.”. “..”.
“An extremely dangerous precedent for Europe,” he post on the Telegram messaging app in Ukrainian.
Russia’s intention to launch the drones into NATO airspace was not immediately apparent. The combatants’ use of electronic warfare tactics has caused Russian and Ukrainian drones to veer off course during long-range attacks.
The incursions happened during a significant Russian strike on Ukraine, which included 35 missiles and 415 drones, according to the Kyiv air force. The air force reported that 27 missiles and 386 drones were either suppressed or intercepted.
Zelenskyy framed the violation as anything but an accident, claiming that it might have been if only one drone had crossed the border. The Kremlin did not immediately release a statement.
Zelenskyy demanded that Russia face repercussions, stating that Moscow “must feel that the war cannot be expanded and must be ended.”. “..”.
Prior to Russian strikes on targets in Ukraine, Polish military officials claimed that the country’s airspace was “repeatedly violated by drone-type objects” during the night.
In one of its first statements, the Polish military said, “An operation is underway aimed at identifying and neutralizing the objects,” and each statement called on citizens to remain at home.
Poland stated that Lubelskie, Mazowieckie, and Podlaskie had been the most endangered regions. According to Polish security services, they sent an SMS message to nearby cellphones, triggering the kind of alert that has become commonplace in neighboring Ukraine on a nightly basis.
Prior to the “massive attack” that Russia carried out on Ukrainian facilities, the Polish military claimed that it had scrambled jets and was taking “preventative” measures.
“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness,” the military reported earlier.
Polish military and emergency officials gathered for an extraordinary government meeting called by Prime Minister Tusk early Wednesday.
Sikorski first had a meeting with Andrii Sybiha, the foreign minister of Ukraine. According to the Polish Foreign Ministry, Jacek Najder, the country’s ambassador to NATO, was also in attendance.
The ministry declared before the meeting that “the security of Polish women and men is the greatest priority.”.
According to the Chancellery, Tusk stated during the emergency cabinet meeting that there was “no reason to panic.”.
At the meeting, Tusk stated, “The decision-making process was perfect, the procedures were implemented correctly, and the threat was effectively eliminated thanks to the resolute actions of commanders, soldiers, and our allies,” according to his office. “My gratitude is immense. “..”.
In a statement, Belarus’s defense ministry, which supports Russia and has helped it invade Ukraine, claimed that its forces also shot down drones that veered off course “due to the influence of the parties’ electronic warfare assets.”. “.
Regarding the approaching drones, Minsk said it communicated with Lithuania and Poland, its neighbors. According to the ministry, “this allowed the Polish side to respond promptly to the actions of the drones by scrambling their forces on duty.”.
The ministry further stated that Polish forces had alerted Belarusian forces to the presence of unknown aircraft coming from Ukrainian territory.
Lithuanian airspace was not violated overnight, a representative of the country’s defense ministry told ABC News.
Two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to respond to a “group of aerial drones in the area of the Ukrainian town of Valcov, on the border with Romania,” according to the Defense Ministry of Romania, which shares a southwest border with Ukraine. “.
According to a statement released by the ministry, no drones entered Romanian airspace.
This report was contributed to by Dada Jovanovic, Morgan Winsor, Natalia Popova, Oleskiy Pshemyskiy, Patrick Reevell, Anna Sergeeva, Anne Flaherty, Michelle Stoddart, and Tomek Rolski of ABC News.
