Poland says it downed drones in its airspace during Russian attacks on Ukraine

3 hours ago 5

Poland said Wednesday it had downed drones that entered its airspace during Russian aerial attacks connected Ukraine.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said successful a station connected X that helium had "received a study from the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces Branches regarding the downing of drones that intruded into our airspace and could person posed a threat. The cognition is ongoing." He added that helium informed NATO's Secretary General and that they were "in changeless contact."

Poland's subject said Wednesday it had scrambled craft alongside allies to sprout down "hostile objects" violating its airspace, a archetypal for a NATO state during the war.

"Aircraft person utilized weapons against hostile objects," Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said connected societal media.

The subject said connected X that, "As a effect of onslaught by the Russian Federation connected Ukrainian territory, determination was an unprecedented usurpation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects. This is an enactment of aggression that posed a existent menace to the information of our citizens."

It said efforts were "underway to hunt for and find the imaginable clang sites of these objects" and "the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces is monitoring the existent situation, and Polish and allied forces and assets stay afloat prepared for further actions."

Polish constabulary said officers discovered a damaged drone successful the eastbound Polish colony of Czosnowka, according to the Reuters quality agency.

Hours later, Poland's subject said connected X that the operations had concluded but the hunt for downed drones was continuing. "We impulse that successful the lawsuit of observing an chartless entity oregon its debris, bash not approach, touch, oregon determination it. Such elements whitethorn airs a menace and incorporate hazardous materials. They indispensable beryllium thoroughly inspected by the due services," the subject cautioned.

The Polish authorities announced it would clasp an "extraordinary" gathering Wednesday morning.

Extraordinary authorities gathering astatine Chancellery of Prime Minister successful Warsaw

The incursion came arsenic Russia unleashed a barrage of strikes crossed Ukraine, including successful the occidental metropolis of Lviv, astir 50 miles from the Polish border.

Russian drones and missiles person entered the airspace of NATO members -- including Poland -- respective times during Russia's three-and-a-half-year war, but a NATO state has ne'er tried to sprout them down.

A cornerstone of the Western subject confederation is the rule that an onslaught connected immoderate subordinate is deemed an onslaught connected all.

During the operation, authorities closed the airspace implicit portion of the country, according to a connection from Warsaw's main Chopin Airport, wherever flights were halted. That airspace was aboriginal reopened, Reuters said.

Warnings of further Russian aggression

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that 8 Russian drones were "aimed toward" Poland successful an overnight barrage that forced Warsaw to scramble aerial defenses. "It was not conscionable 1 Shahed that could beryllium called an accident, but astatine slightest 8 onslaught drones aimed toward Poland," Zelensky said, referring to Iranian-designed drones deployed by Moscow, adding that the incidental represented "An highly unsafe precedent for Europe."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga warned connected X that Russian President Vladimir Putin "just keeps escalating, expanding his war, and investigating the West. The longer helium faces nary spot successful response, the much assertive helium gets. A anemic effect present volition provoke Russia adjacent much -- and past Russian missiles and drones volition alert adjacent further into Europe."

Poland's newly-elected nationalist President Karol Nawrocki issued a informing on the aforesaid lines Tuesday, saying astatine a quality league successful Helsinki that, "We bash not spot Vladimir Putin's bully intentions. We judge that Vladimir Putin is acceptable to besides invade different countries."

NATO-member Poland, a large protagonist of Ukraine, hosts implicit a cardinal Ukrainian refugees and is simply a cardinal transit constituent for Western humanitarian and subject assistance to the war-torn country.

Last month, Warsaw said a Russian subject drone flew into its airspace and exploded successful farmland successful eastbound Poland and depicted the incidental arsenic a "provocation." In 2023, Poland said a Russian rocket had crossed into its airspace to onslaught Ukraine. And successful November 2022, 2 civilians were killed erstwhile a Ukrainian anti-aircraft rocket fell connected a colony adjacent the border.