Poland downs Russian drones, invokes NATO Article 4: Maps show where
Polish fighter jets, with help from NATO allies, shot down multiple Russian drones that entered its eastern border early on Sept. 10. It was the first time the NATO member directly engaged with Russian military assets in its airspace since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Poland rebuked on Friday pushed back on President Donald Trump's assertion that drone incursion could have been accidental. Russia said its forces were attacking Ukraine and that did not intend to hit targets in Poland. Trump told reporters that "It could have been a mistake" on September 11.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded in a social media post: "We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn't. And we know it."
Germany said it had extended air policing over Poland. No casualties have been reported.
Where were Russian drones intercepted?
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Russian drones have entered Polish airspace in the past, including earlier this month. However, the number of drones detected ‒ and NATO’s response ‒ raised fears that the Ukraine war could lead to a confrontation between Russia and NATO and drew condemnation from European leaders.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament it was "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II," although he also said he had "no reason to believe we're on the brink of war," Reuters reported.
The first drone incursion was recorded at about 11:30 p.m. local time on Sept. 9 and the last was at 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, the Washington Post said. Four airports in Poland were temporarily closed during the incursion.
The wreckage of at least one drone, still unidentified, was recovered in Czosnowka, in eastern Poland.
The United Nations Security Council plans to meet Friday to address the incident. NATO has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12.
The Russian drone attack on Ukraine early on Sept. 10 included 458 drones and missiles, according to the news agency Interfax-Ukraine, with at least eight drones entering Polish airspace. According to Interfax-Ukraine, the attack included:
- 415 Shahed- and Gerbera-type drones.
- 42 cruise missiles (Kh-101, Kalibr, and Kh-59).
- A single Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile.
NATO allies aided Poland
NATO is not treating the incident as an attack, but as an intentional incursion, Reuters said.
What is NATO Article 4?
Poland has asked NATO to open consultations under Article 4 of the alliance's treaty. The measure says members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will consult whenever the territory, political independence, or security of any of them is threatened, Reuters said.
Under Article 4, discussions at the North Atlantic Council - NATO’s principal political decision-making body - could potentially lead to some form of joint decision or action. Article 4 has been used seven times since NATO was created in 1949, the Guardian reported.
How did Poland, NATO forces respond to drones?
The Polish air force scrambled its own F-16 fighter jets, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force sent two F-35 fighters that were stationed in Poland. Flights were coordinated by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany.
Other defensive elements included an Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft, a NATO refueling tanker, and a German Patriot air defense system, the New York Times reported.
Drone and missile attacks from Russia have been increasing
The number of Russian drones and missiles deployed against Ukraine has increased since May, repeatedly breaking previous records, according to data from the Institute of the Study of War.
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; AeroTime
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