This morning he enrolled as 1 of the most tense moments in the Polish airspace since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
In the morning, the Operations Command of the Types of Armed Forces issued a message announcing a serious incident: Russian drones breached Polish airspace during ongoing attacks on Western Ukraine.
"Note, in the course of today's attack by the Russian Federation on objects located in Ukraine, our airspace has been repeatedly breached by drone-type objects. An operation is underway to identify and neutralize objects. At the command of the operational commander of the RSZ, weapons have been utilized and service operations are ongoing to find the shot down objects.” — Communication from the Operational Command of the RSZ
According to global media, Poland replied decisively. Anti-aircraft defence systems went into motion, and emergency fighters were picked up in the sky that neutralized the incoming machines. Drones – as reported by military sources – appeared on radars over Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lublinie voivodships. It was decided to temporarily close the airspace in respective zones, which led, among others, to halt air traffic at Chopin airports in Warsaw and Rzeszów-Jasionka.
It was not an accidental presence of a single drone. All points to the fact that we were dealing with the flight of respective unmanned people who crossed the Polish border during Russian attacks on Ukraine and flew into our territory. As the Command emphasizes, military operations are underway – not only to shoot down, but besides to search for device wrecks and to find their origin.
This information was immediately circulated by worldwide news agencies. Reuters, The Guardian, Sky News and another media reported that Poland had to scope for military resources in defence of its air sovereignty. "Poland shoots down drones over its territory amid Russian attack on Ukraine" was the title of 1 of the texts published by the British Journal. The fresh York Post added that the violations took place "many times", and Polish services are in the highest readiness.
Russia crosses borders, Poland is not passive
This incidental sparked immediate political responses, both at home and abroad. National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed the usage of weapons and ensured that Poland operates in close coordination with NATO. His message was to reassure the public and at the same time show that the reaction was immediate and consistent with the alliance procedures.
Foreign politicians have besides not remained indifferent. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin described the violation of Polish space as a NATO test, while Congressman Joe Wilson explicitly called it "a war act". Wilson suggested that if Russia intentionally sends drones over Poland, it cannot stay unanswered – both military and economic.
This event puts NATO in a hard position. Although Poland was not attacked in the classical sense – no harm or casualties occurred – however, all form of violation of the territory of a associate State raises questions about tolerance limits and the final consequences that further escalation may have.
The closure of the airspace over east Poland and the decision to respond straight to military action may prove that Warsaw does not intend to wait for developments, but to act preventively. Especially in the light of earlier incidents, specified as the detonation in the Wire in 2022 or the appearance of unidentified flying objects in 2023 and 2024, which left many questions unanswered. This time decisions were made immediately and there is no doubt: the weaponry was used, the wreckage was sought and the work indicated.
It is besides worrying that all this is happening at the time of the increased Russian attacks on Ukraine. Drones that appeared over Poland may have been part of a larger operation aimed at investigating Western defence systems. It is besides possible that their course was disrupted – but it is the least likely version, given the scale and repeatability of the violations. There are many indications that this was about provocation – calculated to force Poland and NATO to respond and to check the Alliance's tolerance limit.
This is the first case since the outbreak of the war, erstwhile Poland has reacted so unequivocally and firmly to Russian military activity in its space. While erstwhile events may have been considered individual or hard to verify, the current incidental has confirmation not only in the military communication, but besides in real action – from taking fire, search operation, to global resonance.
The situation is developmental, but its burden is uncontested. The Polish airspace was broken – not by error, but by the intention of military character. This is simply a signal not only for Warsaw, but for the full West: war, although it is going beyond the east border, no longer knows the clear lines of the front
