NEW YORK and LONDON — Polish airspace was violated by at the least 19 Russian drones in a single day, the nation’s prime minister mentioned, in a torrent of exercise that triggered a response from the NATO nation’s air drive, which scrambled and downed a number of of the drones.
“These drones that posed a direct risk had been shot down,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said early on Wednesday on social media. “I’m in fixed communication with the Secretary-Basic of NATO and our allies.”
Two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s had been deployed to “assist guarantee security in Polish skies,” the army mentioned. The operations ended early on Wednesday, Warsaw mentioned, including that the search continued for downed drones and potential influence websites.
The nation’s army command described the violations as “unprecedented,” saying they amounted to “an act of aggression that posed an actual risk to the security of our residents.”
Folks watch as a home is broken after a drone or comparable object struck a residential constructing based on native authorities, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Wyryki municipality, Poland September 10, 2025
Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl through Reuters
Polish authorities didn’t report any casualties associated to the drone incursion.
Tusk mentioned this marked the primary time in historical past that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory, which he mentioned “adjustments the political scenario.”
Tusk advised parliament on Wednesday that Warsaw had requested the invocation of NATO Article 4. The clause permits a NATO member to convene a gathering of allies to seek the advice of on a difficulty that would threaten its safety.
“At this time we should say very loudly and clearly to the whole Western world and all our allies — Article 4 is just the start of deeper cooperation for the safety of our skies and our border, which is NATO’s border, and phrases alone are certainly not sufficient,” Tusk mentioned.
“This isn’t only a battle for Ukrainians,” he added. “It is a confrontation that Russia has declared in opposition to the whole free world.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk holds a rare authorities assembly on the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, with army and emergency providers officers, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
Tusk mentioned that at the least 19 Russian drones entered the nation’s airspace late Tuesday and into early Wednesday, a few of which crossed over from Belarus, and at the least three had been subsequently shot down by Polish and NATO forces.
Poland beforehand invoked Article 4 on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which triggered pressing NATO consultations on the time.
NATO Secretary-Basic Mark Rutte mentioned in an announcement Wednesday morning that allies had held discussions after Poland’s Article 4 request. “Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless conduct,” Rutte mentioned. “A full evaluation of the incident is ongoing. What is evident is that the violation final night time just isn’t an remoted incident.”
Police and Army Police safe elements of a broken object shot down by Polish authorities at a web site in Wohyn, Poland, Sept. 10, 2025.
Rafal Niedzielski/AP
“Allies are resolved to defend each inch of allied territory,” Rutte added. “We’ll intently monitor the scenario alongside our japanese flank, our air defenses frequently on the prepared.”
U.S. President Donald Trump is predicted to talk with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday, a White Home official advised ABC Information. The official added that Trump and the White Home are “monitoring the reviews out of Poland.”
NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) mentioned in an announcement to social media that German Patriot surface-to-air missile methods based mostly in Poland had been positioned on alert and that an Italian airborne early warning plane was deployed in the course of the incursion. A NATO aerial refueling plane was additionally launched.
Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, a spokesperson for SHAPE, mentioned in an announcement, “That is the primary time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace.”
Components of a broken UAV shot down by Polish authorities lie at a web site, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace throughout an assault on Ukraine, close to Zamosc, Jaroslawiec area, Poland, September 10, 2025, on this screengrab obtained from a video.
TVN through Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday referred journalists’ inquiries to Russia’s Protection Ministry.
“This isn’t inside our competence, it’s the prerogative of the Russian Ministry of Protection,” Peskov advised reporters.
Requested to touch upon accusations by Europe and NATO that the incident was a Russian provocation, Peskov replied, “The EU and NATO management accuse Russia of provocation every day, most frequently with out even making an attempt to current any arguments.”
Peskov added that Russia had not acquired any requests for contact from Poland’s management.
Police and armed forces examine injury to a home destroyed by particles from a shot down Russian drone within the village of Wyryki-Wola, japanese Poland, September 10, 2025.
Wojtek Radwanski/AFP through Getty Pictures
In a publish to Telegram, Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned its “huge strike” was solely aimed toward targets inside Ukraine. “No targets on the territory of Poland had been deliberate,” it mentioned.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident as “merely unacceptable.” He in a publish to X, “I name on Russia to place an finish to this reckless escalation. I reiterate to the Polish folks and their authorities our full solidarity.”
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in publish to X, “Europe is in a struggle. A struggle for our liberty and our capability to find out our future for ourselves.”
“At this time, we now have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s [airspace] by greater than 10 Russian Shahed drones,” von der Leyen added. “Europe stands in full solidarity with Poland.”
Basic Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the Basic Workers of the Polish Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief of Police Marek Boron stand on the Chancellery of the Prime Minister for a rare authorities assembly, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland, September 10, 2025.
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
European Union overseas affairs chief Kaja Kallas described the incident as “essentially the most critical European airspace violation by Russia because the battle started,” including that “and indications recommend it was intentional, not unintended.”
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, in the meantime, mentioned in a publish to X, “We stand by our NATO allies within the face of those airspace violations and can defend each inch of NATO territory.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early on Wednesday described the violation as “one other escalation step.”
“A particularly harmful precedent for Europe,” he mentioned in Ukrainian on the messaging app Telegram.
It was not instantly clear whether or not Russia had meant to ship the drones into NATO airspace. Russian and Ukrainian drones have been identified to go off beam throughout long-range strikes attributable to digital warfare measures employed by the combatants.
The incursions occurred throughout a significant Russian strike on Ukraine, which the air drive in Kyiv mentioned consisted of 415 drones and 35 missiles. Of these, 386 drones and 27 missiles had been intercepted or suppressed, the air drive mentioned.
F-16 Jet Fighter of Polish Air Drive, pictured throughout climb.
Marcin Rozpedowski/Getty Pictures
The Kremlin didn’t instantly difficulty an announcement however Zelenskyy positioned the violation as something however an accident — saying it might need been thought-about one if it had been only one drone that crossed the border.
Zelenskyy referred to as for penalties for Russia, saying Moscow “should really feel that the battle can’t be expanded and have to be ended.”
Army officers in Poland earlier mentioned the nation’s airspace was “repeatedly violated by drone-type objects” within the in a single day hours amid Russian strikes on targets in Ukraine.
“An operation is underway aimed toward figuring out and neutralizing the objects,” the Polish army mentioned in one in every of its preliminary statements, every of which urged folks to remain at house.
Essentially the most threatened areas had been Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lubelskie, Poland mentioned. Polish safety providers mentioned they despatched an SMS message to cellphones within the space — sending the kind of alert that is develop into a nightly incidence in neighboring Ukraine.
A soldier is pictured after a drone or comparable object struck a residential constructing, based on native authorities, in Wyryki municipality, Poland, on Sept. 10, 2025.
Jakub Orzechowski / Agencja Wybo/Agencja Wyborcza.pl through Reuters
Earlier, the Polish army mentioned it had scrambled jets and was taking “preventative” motion in the course of the “huge assault” carried out by Russia on amenities in Ukraine.
“Polish and allied plane are working in our airspace, and ground-based air protection and radar reconnaissance methods have reached the best state of readiness,” the army mentioned within the earlier assertion.
Tusk, the Polish prime minister, convened a rare authorities assembly early on Wednesday, bringing collectively the nation’s emergency and army officers.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who additionally serves as overseas affairs minister, met previous to that assembly with Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian overseas affairs minister, based on Poland. Jacek Najder, Poland’s consultant to NATO, was additionally current, the nation’s International Ministry mentioned.
“The safety of Polish men and women is the best precedence,” the ministry mentioned previous to the assembly.
Tusk within the emergency cupboard assembly mentioned the there was “no cause to panic,” based on the Chancellery.
“The procedures had been carried out appropriately, the decision-making course of was flawless, and the risk was successfully eradicated because of the resolute actions of commanders, troopers, and our allies,” Tusk mentioned in the course of the assembly, based on his workplace. “I’m deeply grateful.”
Troopers patrol the road after a drone or comparable object struck a residential constructing based on native authorities, following violations of Polish airspace throughout a Russian assault on Ukraine, in Wyryki municipality, Poland September 10, 2025.
Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl through Reuters
The Protection Ministry in Belarus — which is aligned with Russia and has assisted its invasion of Ukraine — mentioned in an announcement that its forces additionally downed drones that went off beam “because of the influence of the events’ digital warfare belongings.”
Minsk mentioned it shared info with neighboring Poland and Lithuania relating to the incoming drones. “This allowed the Polish facet to reply promptly to the actions of the drones by scrambling their forces on obligation,” the ministry mentioned.
The ministry added that Polish forces had additionally notified Belarusian forces of incoming unidentified plane from Ukrainian territory.
A Lithuanian Protection Ministry official advised ABC Information that there have been no violations of Lithuanian airspace in a single day.
In Romania — which borders Ukraine to its southwest — the Protection Ministry mentioned two F-16 fighter jets had been scrambled in response to a “group of aerial drones within the space of the Ukrainian city of Valcov, on the border with Romania.”
No drones entered Romanian airspace, the ministry mentioned in an announcement.
A Polish police officer stands close to a unmanned aerial automobile fragment, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace throughout an assault on Ukraine and a few had been shot down by Poland, in Czesniki, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland, September 10, 2025.
Polsat Information/Reuters
ABC Information’ Dada Jovanovic, Morgan Winsor, Natalia Popova, Oleskiy Pshemyskiy, Patrick Reevell, Anna Sergeeva, Anne Flaherty and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
