Poland shoots down Russian drones in airspace breach

Polish armed forces have intercepted and downed Russian drones after what officials described as an “unprecedented” violation of the country’s airspace early Wednesday morning.

The incident marks the first time that Poland, a NATO member, has directly engaged Russian aerial assets over its territory since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Polish military confirmed that the operation involved both national and NATO aircraft, which were scrambled in response to the incursion.

Authorities said the drone activity began during the early hours and prompted a rapid deployment of air defence systems.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was reportedly present at the scene of the military operations, posted on social media that an “operation related to multiple violations of Polish airspace” was underway.

The breach also led to the temporary suspension of operations at four airports in eastern and southeastern Poland, as authorities responded to reports of unidentified aerial objects.

“This level of incursion is a new and serious escalation not only for Poland but also for the wider NATO alliance,” reported the BBC’s correspondent in Kyiv.

The Polish government has not confirmed whether the drones originated from Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory or were launched from elsewhere.

Warsaw has called on Moscow to provide an explanation, though Russia has yet to issue an official response.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions, with NATO states increasingly on alert for spillover from the conflict in Ukraine.

NATO has previously condemned what it sees as deliberate or accidental violations of allied airspace, calling such incidents dangerous and destabilising.