(NewsNation) — European leaders Thursday expressed alarm over growing Russian hostility threatening their countries as Moscow’s forces pursue their invasion of Ukraine — concerns exacerbated by events of the previous day when multiple Russian drones entered Polish territory.
The United Nations Security Council is set to meet Friday to discuss drone incursions into Polish airspace that the nation’s president described as an attempt by Russia to test Warsaw and NATO’s response.
Poland also banned drone flights along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine and limited small air traffic there after shooting down what it said were Russian drones.
Poland was backed by its NATO allies in shooting down the drones — the first time a member of the military alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine — and Germany said on Thursday it would strengthen its commitment to NATO’s eastern border in response to the incursions.
Russia said it had not intended to hit any targets in Poland and that it would make no further comment on the incident. A senior NATO commander said it was not yet known whether the drone incursions were intentional.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said France will deploy three Rafale fighter jets to help Poland protect its airspace.
“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not give in to Russia’s increasing intimidation,” he wrote on social media.
Republican senators are urging President Trump to give them the green light to vote on a Russia sanctions package in the wake of the incursion and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s seeming disinterest in ending the war with Ukraine.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.