Poland confirmed that its air defenses shot down Russian drones that violated Polish airspace during a massive Russian aerial assault on Ukraine overnight.

This marks the first recorded instance of a NATO member directly engaging Russian military assets over its own territory since the start of the conflict.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on X that Polish forces acted after “a huge number of Russian drones” crossed into Polish skies. “Those that posed a direct threat were shot down,” he stated, stressing the severity of the breach. The Polish Armed Forces’ Operational Command confirmed that NATO aircraft, including Dutch F-35 fighters, were scrambled alongside Polish jets, with operations concluding by 7:42 a.m. local time. Radar systems and air defenses have since returned to normal, though searches for wreckage continue.

The incident forced the temporary closure of four airports, including Warsaw’s Chopin Airport and Rzeszow–Jasionka, a critical hub for Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration attributed the disruption to “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security.” Passengers at Chopin Airport reported delays, with officials citing airspace restrictions without directly mentioning Russian drones.

Damage was also reported inside Poland’s eastern Lublin region. Local media said one drone struck a house in Wyryki, damaging the roof and a car, while another wreckage was discovered in a field near Czosnowka. No injuries were reported, though residents in the Lublin, Podlaskie, and Mazowieckie regions were urged to remain indoors.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz convened an emergency National Security Bureau briefing with Tusk, underscoring that “the homeland’s security is the highest priority.” Tusk also informed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of the developments.

The airspace violation coincided with one of Russia’s largest aerial offensives in weeks. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched 415 drones and 43 missiles targeting central and western regions, of which 386 drones and 27 missiles were intercepted. Strikes nevertheless caused widespread damage, killing one and injuring four in Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.

The attack followed Russia’s record-breaking strike on September 7, when 810 drones and 13 missiles hit 33 Ukrainian sites, including a major government building in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia’s targeting of drones toward Poland was “likely intentional,” calling it “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.”

U.S. officials strongly condemned the incursion. Congressman Joe Wilson described it as an “act of war,” while Senator Dick Durbin cautioned that Putin was testing NATO’s resolve. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged neighboring states to intercept Russian projectiles before they cross borders, warning that failure to act could invite further escalation.

As Poland investigates the breach and NATO weighs its response, the incident has raised fears of a direct confrontation between the alliance and Moscow, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic new phase of the war. (ILKHA)