Poland shot down drones in its airspace Wednesday with support from allied military aircraft, marking the first known instance of NATO forces firing during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament it was “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two,” though he added there was “no reason to believe we’re on the brink of war.” He described the incident as a “large-scale provocation” and said Poland had invoked Article 4 of NATO’s treaty, which allows members to request consultations.
Polish officials said 19 objects entered its airspace during a major Russian strike on Ukraine, with those deemed threatening destroyed by Polish F-16s and allied aircraft. NATO sources confirmed Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, and NATO-operated refueling aircraft took part in the overnight operation.
Moscow denied responsibility, with Russia’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw saying the drones had entered from Ukraine and calling the accusations “groundless.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said EU and NATO leaders accuse Russia of provocations “most of the time, without even trying to present at least some kind of argument.”
NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance was consulting closely with Warsaw and stressed that “whether it was intentional or not, it is absolutely reckless, it is absolutely dangerous.” A source said NATO was treating the event as an intentional incursion but not an outright attack.
Since its creation in 1949, NATO’s Article 4 has been invoked seven times, most recently in February 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
