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Poland shot down several Russian drones this Wednesday that entered its airspace during an attack by Moscow on Ukraine.
This is the first time a NATO member country has neutralized Russian drones on its own territory, which has triggered a serious alert in Europe and led Warsaw to invoke Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, described the incident as "a large-scale provocation" and warned that this is the most tense moment for his country since World War II.
“Never before have we been closer to an open conflict,” declared Tusk, who has urgently called his government cabinet and is in constant contact with the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte.
Drones, at least 19 according to official sources, violated airspace in the border provinces of Podlaskie, Masovia, and Lublin. Some were intercepted by Polish F-16 fighters, while others caused slight material damage by impacting civilian infrastructure, such as a residential building in the locality of Wyryki.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces raised its alert level to maximum and confirmed the location of debris from seven drones and a missile of yet undetermined origin. Authorities also ordered the temporary closure of several airports, including Warsaw's.
NATO and the EU respond
The Atlantic Alliance actively participated in the response operation with air support from Dutch F-35 fighters, Italian AWACS aircraft, and refueling systems. Although NATO has not classified the incident as a "direct attack," it has initiated an investigation to assess its nature and implications.
In parallel, the European Union condemned the incident. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, described it as a "reckless and unprecedented violation" and announced an investment of 6 billion euros for a "drone alliance" with Ukraine. Community diplomacy considers the attack to be "intentional."
From Moscow, the Russian government has denied its direct involvement, stating that the drones "were flying from Ukraine" and suggesting that they could have lost their course due to electronic interference. However, Polish authorities claim that the devices originated from Belarusian territory, an ally of Russia, rather than from Ukraine.
International reaction and growing tension
Ukraine, for its part, warned that the incident represents a new provocation maneuver by the Kremlin. President Volodimir Zelenski stated that Russia “is testing the resolve of the West.”
The High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the EU, Kaja Kallas, stated that “there are indications that the attack was deliberate.” In a similar vein, leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez have strongly condemned the aggression and expressed their solidarity with Poland.
Meanwhile, the NATO Secretary General reiterated that a “thorough assessment of the incident” is underway and assured that the organization is prepared to respond in a coordinated manner to similar future scenarios.
The situation in Eastern Europe is at a peak of tension. Polish airspace has been violated by Russian projectiles on previous occasions, but this is the first instance of a direct military response.
The international community is closely watching whether this provocation will be the turning point in the war in Ukraine or if it is still possible to contain the escalation.
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