Warsaw reported that 19 drones entered Polish airspace overnight, many reportedly from Belarus, while Moscow denied the claims.
Sept. 10, 2025
The United States vowed on Wednesday to “defend every kilometer of NATO territory” after Russian drones breached Polish airspace overnight.
Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said Poland’s operational command first announced on X that its airspace had been violated.
According to O’Donnell, Polish and allied forces were put on alert but returned to normal readiness levels a few hours later.
“This is the first time NATO aircraft have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace,” O’Donnell said.
He noted that Dutch fighter jets responded, German Patriot missile units in Poland were placed on alert, and Italy launched an early warning plane and an aerial refueler from NATO’s Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport fleet.
“NATO, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and all of Allied Command Operations is committed to defending every kilometer of NATO territory, including our airspace,” he said.
While Poland confirmed it had scrambled its own and allied air defenses to neutralize Russian drones, US President Donald Trump, when asked by reporters about the incident Tuesday night, offered no response.
The US president’s silence stood in contrast to sharp reactions from lawmakers in Congress.
Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the incursion “an act of war.”
“Russia is attacking NATO ally Poland with Iranian Shahed drones less than a week after President Trump hosted President Nawrocki at the White House. This is an act of war, and we are grateful to NATO allies for their swift response,” Wilson wrote on social media.
He urged Trump to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and expand military support for Ukraine.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois issued a similar warning, calling the repeated violations of NATO airspace “fair warning that Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 19 drones entered Polish airspace overnight, many of them from Belarus.
Polish authorities said Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian airborne early warning and control (AWACS) reconnaissance planes, and NATO-operated refueling aircraft took part in intercepting the drones.
Four airports, including Rzeszów and Warsaw, were temporarily closed, with several regions put at risk.
Poland’s Rzeczpospolita reported that 23 drones had crossed into Polish airspace. The outlet stressed that, given the scale of the violation, it is difficult to consider the incident accidental and that it was most likely a deliberate Russian operation aimed at testing Poland’s response.
Tusk confirmed that Poland has formally requested the activation of Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which calls for consultations among allies regarding security issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed for an integrated air defense system with Kyiv’s European allies, accusing Russia of “deliberately targeting” Poland.
He urged Kyiv’s allies to issue a strong response, calling the attack an attempt to “humiliate” EU and NATO member Poland.
Russia, meanwhile, denied that its overnight strike on Ukraine targeted Polish territory.
“No targets on Polish territory were planned,” the Russian ministry added. “The maximum range of the Russian drones allegedly crossing into Poland does not exceed 700 kilometers [435 miles].”
According to AP News, one of the drones that traveled farthest inland was found in Mniszków, a village southeast of Łódź, about 260 kilometers (161 miles) from the Belarusian border – within the range stated by Moscow.
While the specific drones that entered Poland remain unconfirmed, Moscow’s preferred Shahed/Geran drones used against Ukraine can reach up to 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), lending further doubts to the claim.
It is also unclear how Moscow obtained knowledge of the alleged drone model that entered Poland.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/59844
“He urged Trump to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and expand military support for Ukraine.”
My prediction; taco will give the war criminal a two-week moratorium before doing nothing.
TACO is blabbering on saying the EU should be imposing sanctions and tariffs on mafia land and China. The next EU sanctions package is due on Friday. This is either the second or third since TACO took office. All he’s done is lift restrictions on mafia land.
The best form of defence is offence. Smack the war criminal in the mouth a few times and he’ll back away. Even a threat to destroy his precious bridge if one more drone goes anywhere near NATO territory would make him think twice.
Why just threaten? Destroy the damn thing, then say, “Want to test us again?”