Russian drones crossed Polish airspace from the Belarusian side, says Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo Getty Images
During the Russian attack on Ukraine on the night of September 9-10, 19 drones violated Polish airspace, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. Some of them were shot down. Now NATO representatives are calling for action. Forbes Ukraine has compiled the main points from the analysis of Reuters, Politico and FT
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It has been confirmed that eight Russian strike drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Later, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk clarified that there were 19 drones and the vast majority of them flew in from Belarus.
Polish, Dutch and Italian fighter jets, along with Polish air defense forces, shot down some of them, but the exact number is not yet known. Polish and allied radar systems tracked a dozen or so objects that violated Polish airspace, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosyniak-Kamysz told Politico.
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Two German Patriot air defense systems deployed in Poland helped detect Russian drones over Polish territory, an anonymous source told Reuters. The drones’ entry into European airspace was deliberate, not accidental, adds European diplomacy chief Kaia Kallas. “Russia’s war is not ending, but rather escalating. We must raise the price of attacks for Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine and invest in Europe’s defense,” she wrote in X.
Not an attack on Poland
NATO does not consider the drone incursion into Polish territory as an attack, an anonymous alliance source told Reuters. “This was the first time NATO aircraft have interacted with potential threats in allied airspace,” the source added.
NATO's Patriot air defense systems in the region detected the drones on their radars but did not open fire. The nighttime operation involved Polish F-16 fighters, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS reconnaissance aircraft and NATO tanker aircraft, Reuters adds.
There were no casualties, but debris from one of the drones damaged the roof of a house in Wyryki-Wola, in eastern Poland, near the border with Belarus, Poland's defense minister tells Politico.
Airports in Warsaw, Modlin and Rzeszow have been closed, but will soon resume normal operations. The airport in Lublin – in eastern Poland, near Ukraine – remains closed, a spokesman for the Polish Air Navigation Agency (Pansa) told Polish TVN24.
“Poland's main international airport in Warsaw was closed due to 'unplanned military activity related to national security,'” the US Federal Aviation Administration explained.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki is going to convene a meeting of the National Security Council within 48 hours.
Passengers check information about delayed flights on monitors at Warsaw International Airport on September 10, 2025, after the airport was closed due to Russian drones violating Polish airspace. Photo: Getty Images
Tension is rising.
The incident comes amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia, ahead of the start of large-scale Russian military exercises near Poland. The five-day Zapad maneuvers involve the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, the FT writes.
The exercises, which will run from September 12 to 16, will include maneuvers near Poland and Lithuania as Russia practices a possible clash with NATO forces, Politico adds.
“We must take the exercises near NATO and EU borders seriously,” says Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas. “Lithuania and our allies are ready and will closely monitor developments in order to respond if necessary.”
On Tuesday, September 9, Tusk said that Poland's border with Belarus would be completely closed ahead of the Zapad exercises, the FT adds.
Russian and Belarusian troops take part in the Zapad-2021 military exercises in the Brest region of Belarus on September 14, 2021. Photo by Getty Images
NATO and Allies' Reaction
“The night attack by Russian drones, which also took place in Poland, is a test of the defense capabilities of NATO countries,” writes Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in X. “It is hard to believe that this was a simple coincidence.” Putin’s regime threatens all of Europe and is systematically testing how far it can go, he believes. “It is encouraging that Polish air defense systems responded effectively. It is obvious that Russia is trying to harm the residents of other European countries,” Fiala emphasizes.
General Wiesław Kukula, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, takes part in an extraordinary government meeting following the drone attack on the Prime Minister's Office. Photo: Getty Images
The White House has not yet commented on the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the drone attack and called it “unacceptable.”
NATO is in close consultation with Poland, a NATO spokesman wrote in X.
Poland has requested the activation of
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