Poland asks NATO to activate Article 4 over Russian drone incursion
Poland has requested the activation of Article 4 of NATO's treaty over the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Sept. 10.
Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows member states to request consultations with the allies if they believe their security has been threatened, without triggering a military response.
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.
"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.
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.
