NATO activates Article 4 after Russian drones entered Polish airspace, Warsaw says
NATO has activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty following the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, Polish government spokesperson Adam Szlapka told Polsat News on Sept. 10.
The announcement came after 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.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier said Warsaw formally requested the consultations under Article 4, which allows member states to call for discussions with allies if they believe their security is threatened, without triggering an automatic military response.
"Allied consultations have now taken the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty," Tusk said in an address to the Polish Sejm, the lower chamber of the country's parliament.
Tusk said the decision was preceded by consultations with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, adding that this is "just the beginning."
Nineteen 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, according to the prime minister.
"We will expect significantly greater support during the consultations. This is a confrontation that Russia has declared against the free world," Tusk told Polish lawmakers.
Separately, Nawrocki called the incident "an unprecedented moment in NATO's history and Poland's modern history."
Warsaw's NATO allies and Kyiv have denounced the incursion and voiced support for Poland, with Ukraine offering assistance with setting up an effective alert and protection system.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart noted that the alliance is "consulting closely" with Warsaw. An undisclosed source told Reuters that the alliance does not treat the incursion as an attack.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also commented on the Russian drone incursion over Poland, calling the response "a very successful reaction by NATO and Allies."
"Whether it (the incursion) was intentional or not, it is absolutely reckless. It is absolutely dangerous," he said. "But I think last night demonstrated that we are capable of defending every inch of NATO territory, including, of course, its airspace."
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.
Since 1949, NATO's Article 4 has been invoked seven times. Poland first used it in 2014 over Russia's occupation of Crimea and invasion of Donbas, and again in 2022 with allies following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
