'Empirical fact' — Ukraine warns Slovakia against shifting blame from Russia for Poland drone breach
Kyiv urges Bratislava not to cast doubt on Russia’s responsibility for violating Polish airspace, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing attended by the Kyiv Independent on Sept. 11, responding to remarks by Slovakia’s top diplomat.
The statement comes after Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said that he wants "to believe that the drones that penetrated Polish territory were drones that went there not to attack Poland but were supposed to end up on Ukrainian territory."
Poland confirmed downing Russian drones in its airspace overnight on Sept. 10, marking the first time NATO engaged Moscow's military assets over its territory during the full-scale war in Ukraine.
At least 19 drones entered the Polish airspace, and between three and four were shot down by Polish and NATO aircraft in what Warsaw denounced as a deliberate provocation by Russia.
"A large number of Russian drones entered Polish airspace — this is an empirical fact that does not require belief," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told the press.
"Such a massive border violation by Russian drones could not have been accidental — it is a fully deliberate escalation on Russia’s part."
The spokesperson called upon Slovakia not to "shift responsibility away from Moscow with inappropriate doubts, but to recognize reality as it is."
While Ukraine and nearly all EU and NATO partners resolutely denounced the Russian incursion, Slovak officials cast doubt on Moscow's responsibility.
Robert Fico, Slovakia's populist prime minister known for his Kremlin-friendly rhetoric, called the incursion a serious incident but said it must be established whether it was intentional or an accident.
Since returning to office in 2023, Fico has ended military aid to Ukraine from the Slovak army stocks and questioned EU sanctions on Russia. In the past, Fico has also vowed to block Kyiv's NATO accession.
"I condemn any acts of aggression, and it doesn't matter which country carries out such an act, whether it is Russia or anyone else," Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said, according to the Slovak news agency TASR.
At the same time, Blanar expressed Slovakia's "absolute solidarity" with Poland and supported NATO consultations under Article 4 initiated by Warsaw, while also urging a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine, which has resisted Russia's all-out war for three and a half years and faces near-daily drone attacks, called for a strong response by NATO and the EU.
Kyiv has urged the partners to boost Ukraine's air defenses and impose harsher sanctions against Moscow, while also offering to help Poland reinforce its security against such incursions.
"Every responsible European government should now be thinking about how to stop Russia together with Ukraine and bring the war to an end, not about how to justify Russia’s escalation," Tykhyi said.
