‘Highly significant’: Zelensky reacts as NATO jets shoot down Russian drones over Poland for first time

NATO forces shot down Russian drones over Poland early Wednesday morning in what officials called the first direct military engagement between the alliance and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his country’s airspace was violated by a “huge number of Russian drones” during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine. The drones posed a direct threat and were taken down by Polish and allied forces.

The incident involved 19 separate violations of Polish airspace, with at least three drones shot down by Polish F-16 jets and Dutch F-35 fighters. Italian surveillance aircraft and German Patriot missile systems also took part in the operation. One Russian drone struck a residential building in the eastern Polish village of Wyryki, causing damage but no injuries. Debris from other drones was found across several locations near Poland’s border with Ukraine and Belarus.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the NATO response as a significant development. “The precedent of using combat aircraft from several European countries simultaneously to shoot down Russian weapons and protect human lives is highly significant,” Zelensky wrote on X. He said at least eight Russian drones had crossed into Polish territory and called the incident an “extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.” Ukraine has long proposed creating a joint air defense system with its partners to better protect against drone and missile attacks, as per The Hill.

Poland invokes NATO Article 4 for emergency talks

Poland quickly moved to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which allows member countries to request urgent talks when they believe their security is threatened. Prime Minister Tusk told Poland’s parliament that this was “just the beginning” and that his country expected much greater support from allies. He described the situation as bringing Poland closer to armed conflict than at any time since World War II.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned Russia’s actions as “absolutely reckless” and “absolutely dangerous,” regardless of whether the airspace violations were intentional. During emergency talks at NATO headquarters, alliance members expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Moscow’s behavior. Rutte said the operation showed NATO was ready to defend “every inch” of its territory and airspace.

The Russian Defense Ministry denied deliberately targeting Polish territory, saying its overnight strike was aimed at Ukraine’s military facilities. Moscow claimed it was ready to hold talks with Polish defense officials about the incident. However, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said there was no doubt the violations were intentional, calling them an unprecedented attack on NATO and the European Union.

This marks a significant escalation in the conflict as Russia appears to be testing NATO’s resolve. The massive attack on Ukraine involved over 415 drones and 40 missiles targeting multiple regions. European leaders warned that Russia’s actions represent a growing threat to all of Europe, not just Ukraine. The incident comes as Trump’s administration seeks to negotiate an end to the war, with the president meeting with Polish leaders to discuss regional security.