Poland said its air force, backed by allied NATO aircraft, shot down multiple drones that violated Polish airspace overnight during a large Russian strike on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament this was “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two,” while stressing he has “no reason to believe we’re on the brink of war.” Poland’s Operational Command reported repeated intrusions; officials described the action as an “act of aggression.”
Tusk also posted on X that “those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down,” adding thanks to “our NATO pilots” for assisting over Poland.
Reuters and other outlets reported the operation involved Polish F-16s and allied assets and marked the first known instance of a NATO member firing during Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia’s overnight drone attacks on his country show Moscow continues to “push the boundaries of what is possible”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is verifying details of a major overnight Russian drone strike, noting that Ukrainian forces alerted Poland in real time about drone movements. He said the first confirmed crossing into Poland occurred around 00:50 Kyiv time and that at least some drones routed through Belarus. Several dozen drones moved along the Ukraine–Belarus border and over western Ukraine, with updated estimates suggesting roughly two dozen may have entered Polish airspace—still being verified. Ukraine’s air defenses downed more than 380 drones, including at least 250 Shaheds. He called for deeper cooperation with partners—moving beyond intelligence sharing to real joint actions—so Europeans demonstrate they can defend themselves.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
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