Poland calls NATO talks after Russian drones enter airspace

Poland has activated Article 4 of the NATO Treaty on Wednesday, after its armed forces downed several Russian drones that entered Polish airspace overnight.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Warsaw with military and emergency officials before making the decision.

"The shooting down of drones threatening our security is a success for Polish and NATO forces, which simultaneously changes the political situation," Tusk said. "In this regard, allied consultations have taken the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty."

Article 4 allows any NATO member to call for consultations whenever they believe their security, independence or territorial integrity is under threat. It is a step before Article 5, which deals with collective defence.

The Polish armed forces reported 19 crossings into the country’s airspace, beginning late on Tuesday night at around 11:30 pm and continuing until 6:30 am on Wednesday. The military was placed on its "highest state of readiness".

Local police said debris from one of the drones was found in the village of Czosnówka, close to Poland’s border with Belarus.

Warsaw’s Chopin Airport remained open but suspended flight operations. Airports in Modlin, Rzeszów-Jasionka and Lublin also stopped flights. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that allies had shown "solidarity with Poland" and condemned Russia’s "reckless behaviour".

"A full assessment is ongoing and we will closely monitor the eastern flank, with our air defences ready. To Putin, my message is clear: stop the war in Ukraine, stop escalating against civilians, stop violating allied airspace. We stand ready, vigilant, and will defend every inch of NATO territory," he explained.

Speaking in parliament, Tusk underlined that this was the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that Polish airspace had been breached directly from Belarus, rather than by mistake or small provocations. He said he had already spoken with several European leaders, including those from Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic states, as well as Rutte.

NATO confirmed that aircraft from Italy, the Netherlands and Germany were involved in intercepting the drones, marking the first time allied forces engaged potential threats inside NATO airspace.

NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) said it remained in "close contact and coordination with Poland and other allies regarding the drones that entered Polish airspace" and stressed. "NATO responded quickly and decisively to the situation, demonstrating our capability and resolve to defend allied territory."

Tusk told MPs that Polish forces diverted two F-35s, two F-16s, Mi-17 helicopters, Mi-24s and a Black Hawk to the operation.