WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Poland said it shot down multiple Russian drones that entered its airspace during a wave of overnight strikes on Ukraine, calling it an “act of aggression” from Moscow. In response, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced he was invoking Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty.
A NATO spokesperson confirmed that members met Wednesday morning for a regular session and planned to discuss the incursion and the alliance’s response.
“Numerous drones entered Polish airspace overnight and were met with Polish and NATO air defences. SecGen NATO is in touch with NATO and is consulting closely with Poland,” a NATO spokesperson wrote on social media.
Russia contends this incursion was unintentional. The Defense Ministry said the flight paths were not meant to threaten Poland and no incursions were intended.
“There were no intentions to engage any targets in the territory of Poland,” the ministry said in a statement. “Nevertheless, we are ready to hold consultations on this subject with the Polish defense ministry.”
President Donald Trump, who has continued to voice frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been briefed on the incident, according to a senior White House official.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Tuesday, “We stand by our NATO Allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
What is NATO Article 4?
Article 4 allows any NATO member to raise security concerns for consultation with allies. It doesn’t obligate members to take action, but it creates a formal request for discussion that could lead to joint measures.
Since NATO’s founding in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked seven times. Poland and several other Eastern European countries used it in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Poland previously used it in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea.
‘Russia’s war is escalating, not ending’: EU chief
Several European leaders have accused Russia of deliberately escalating the war. The incident came three days after Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the invasion began, striking a key government building in Kyiv for the first time.
“Russia’s war is escalating, not ending,” said European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “Last night in Poland, we saw the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental.”
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said “more than 10 objects” crossed into Polish airspace and thanked NATO Air Command and the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force for their assistance in deploying F-35 fighter jets.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte was in contact with Polish leadership as forces remained on high alert.
“Whether it was intentional or not it is absolutely reckless,” he said. “What we saw last night was a very successful reaction by NATO and allies … really impressed … last night showed we are able to defend every inch of NATO territory, including, of course, its airspace.”
Polish airspace has been breached several times since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but officials stressed nothing on this scale has yet occurred in Poland or along NATO’s eastern flank.
Zelenskyy urges united response after Russian drones breach
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack an “important precedent” for Europe, urging a joint response from Ukraine, Poland, European nations and the United States.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 415 drones, 42 cruise missiles and one ballistic missile overnight. Ukrainian air defenses said it intercepted or jammed 386 drones and 27 cruise missiles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.