7 drones, projectile fragment of unknown origin found in Poland after Russian incursion
Polish authorities have discovered seven drones and one projectile fragment after a Russian drone incursion in the country's airspace overnight on Sept. 10, a Polish Interior Ministry spokesperson said.
Six drones were found in the eastern Lublin province at Ukraine's border, one in the Lodz province in central Poland, and one in the Warmian-Masurian province in the north, ministry spokesperson Karolina Galecka told journalists during a press conference.
The Warmian-Masurian province lies at the Polish border with Russia's heavily armed exclave of Kaliningrad.
The remains of a projectile of an unknown origin were also found in the Lublin province, she added.
The news comes as Poland, for the first time during the full-scale war, confirmed downing Russian drones in its airspace amid a mass Russian aerial attack on Ukraine.
The ministry spokesperson added that the situation is dynamic and information about more drone fragments may emerge later on.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that 19 airspace violations were recorded overnight, while three or four drones were shot down by Polish and allied planes — the last one at 6:45 a.m. local time.
However, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that up to 23 Russian drones were detected.
No casualties were reported, though one drone hit a house in the village of Wyryki in the Lublin province, damaging the roof and a car parked on the property.
Ukrainian defenses intercepted 386 of the 415 strike and decoy drones and 27 of the 43 missiles launched by Russia overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
While Warsaw's partners have denounced Russia and voiced support for Poland over the incursion, Moscow denied the accusations as "unfounded." Polish officials did not say whether they view the incident as deliberate.
Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly violated the airspace of Poland and other NATO members during strikes on Ukraine, but until Sept. 10, there had never been a confirmed case of local defenses shooting one down.
Poland's position on NATO's eastern frontier places it at the core of the alliance's deterrence strategy, as Western leaders continue to warn of the risk of a broader confrontation with Russia.
