Tusk warns Poland ‘closest to open conflict since World War Two’ as NATO jets intercept unprecedented Russian incursion into alliance airspace
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has triggered NATO Article 4 consultations after declaring Poland is “the closest it has been to open conflict since World War Two” following the shooting down of multiple Russian drones that violated the country’s airspace in an unprecedented escalation of Moscow’s aggression.
Some 19 “hostile” Russian drones entered Polish territory in the early hours of Wednesday morning during a massive aerial assault on Ukraine, prompting a rapid response from NATO fighter jets in what officials described as the first time the alliance has engaged potential threats in member state airspace since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Tusk confirmed that three drones had been shot down with a fourth likely downed, warning that whilst there was “no reason to claim we’re on the brink of war,” the situation was now “incomparably more dangerous than before.” The Polish leader’s stark assessment came as he formally requested NATO consultations under Article 4 of the alliance treaty, which allows members to seek advice when their territorial integrity or security is threatened.
Historic NATO Response
“This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two,” Tusk told the Polish parliament, the Sejm, in a dramatic address on Wednesday morning. “The fact that these drones, which posed a security threat, were shot down changes the political situation. Therefore, allied consultations took the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the NATO Treaty.”
The overnight operation, codenamed Operation Eastern Aurora, saw Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, and NATO mid-air refuelling aircraft jointly respond to the incursion. Polish forces also deployed Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters alongside Black Hawk aircraft in what military officials described as an “unprecedented violation.”
Colonel Martin L. O’Donnell, spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), confirmed this marked “the first time NATO aircraft had engaged potential threats in allied airspace” since the Ukraine war began. German Patriot missile systems in Poland were placed on high alert, whilst an Italian airborne early warning aircraft and aerial refueller from NATO’s multinational fleet were launched.
Damage and Debris
A drone struck a residential building in the village of Wyryki in eastern Poland, damaging the roof though causing no casualties. Police in the Lublin region recovered a damaged drone in Czosnowka, with debris also reported in Czesniki. The drones penetrated up to 300 kilometres into Polish territory, according to military sources.
Warsaw’s airports were temporarily closed overnight, with Warsaw Chopin, Warsaw-Modlin, Rzeszów and Lublin facilities shut due to what authorities termed “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security.” By Wednesday morning, all except Lublin airport had reopened.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki called the incident “an unprecedented moment in NATO’s history and Poland’s modern history,” announcing he would convene the National Security Council within 48 hours once full information was available.
Russian Denials and NATO Solidarity
Russian officials denied the incursion was intentional, with a diplomat telling state media that Poland had provided no evidence the drones were of Russian origin, calling the accusations “groundless.” The Kremlin declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the defence ministry.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who had been in contact with Polish leadership throughout the crisis, said the alliance was treating the incident as an intentional incursion rather than an attack. Speaking after an emergency NATO Council meeting, Rutte called the violation “absolutely reckless” and warned it was “not an isolated incident.”
“Whether it was intentional or not, it is absolutely reckless,” Rutte stated. “I have a clear message for President Putin: stop violating allied airspace. NATO is vigilant and we will defend every inch of our territory.”
International Condemnation
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer branded Russia “extremely reckless” and called the situation “extremely concerning” in a strongly-worded statement issued from Downing Street.
“This morning’s barbaric attack on Ukraine and the egregious and unprecedented violation of Polish and NATO airspace by Russian drones is deeply concerning,” Starmer said. This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day.
The Prime Minister confirmed he had spoken with Tusk on Wednesday morning “to make clear our support for Poland” and pledged to “stand firm in our support for Ukraine.” During Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer told MPs that Britain would “ramp up the pressure on Putin until there is a just and lasting peace” through the Coalition of the Willing, a 31-nation European grouping led by Britain and France.
Defence Secretary John Healey went further, stating that “Putin took this aggression to a new level of hostility” and warning that the attacks showed Europe was facing “escalating Russian aggression.
European Unity
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incursion as “simply unacceptable” in a statement written in Polish, expressing “full solidarity with the Polish nation and government.” He revealed plans to hold urgent talks with NATO Secretary General Rutte about the incident.
“I condemn it in the strongest terms. I call on Russia to put an end to this reckless escalation. We will not compromise on the safety of our allies,” Macron wrote on social media platform X.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described it as “the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began,” adding that “indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental.” She warned: “Russia’s war is escalating, not ending.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the drones had been “clearly armed” and expressed full support for Poland’s invocation of Article 4. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated: “We stand by our NATO Allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory.
Broader Context
The incursion occurred during Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine in recent weeks, with Moscow launching 415 Shahed-type drones and 42 cruise missiles overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least eight drones had been “aimed toward Poland” in what he called “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.”
The timing is particularly sensitive as it comes just one day before Poland’s planned closure of its border with Belarus ahead of the Zapad-2025 joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises scheduled for 12-16 September. Tusk had already described these drills as “very aggressive from a military doctrine perspective” and occurring “very close to the Polish border.”
Defence analysts noted that Moscow may have been preparing for such operations since July, when Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards were discovered in Russian drone wreckage in Ukraine, suggesting tests of mobile network connections for potential flights over NATO territory.
Travel Warnings
The UK Foreign Office advised British nationals that there may be travel disruption to the region but confirmed Poland’s airports remained open. Follow official Polish Government announcements and updates from airlines,” the FCDO stated, adding that “Russian military strikes have taken place in Ukraine within 20 kilometres of the Polish border” and that “access to the border is restricted.
Polish military spokesperson Adam Szlapka confirmed to Polsat News that NATO had formally activated Article 4 consultations, which could result in increased surveillance, additional troop deployments, joint exercises, and enhanced coordination with the EU and UN if deemed necessary.
As dawn broke over Warsaw, Tusk’s message to the West was unequivocal: “This is not our war. This is not just a war for Ukrainians. This is a confrontation that Russia has declared on the entire world. This message must finally reach everyone.”
The invocation of Article 4, whilst not triggering NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause, marks a significant escalation in the alliance’s response to Russian aggression and underscores the growing risks of the Ukraine conflict spilling over into NATO territory.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit:
Donald Tusk, April 29, 2014 — photo by Mateusz Włodarczyk, CC BY-SA 4.0
