Poland to demand explanation from Ukraine over drone incident in Lithuania
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Poland will seek an explanation from Ukraine on a drone that allegedly entered Polish territory over the weekend before exploding in Lithuania, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Oct. 20.
Lithuania said the drone entered its airspace from the Polish side before exploding on Oct. 18, damaging a moving car. No injuries were reported.
Ukraine offered its apology and explained the incident as another possible case of Russian jamming diverting Ukrainian drones from their intended targets in Russia.
"We will investigate all circumstances. I count on the full cooperation of the Ukrainian side so that we can precisely explain what happened," Tusk said at a government meeting, as reported by RMF24. "Without emotion, without ill intentions."
Polish authorities have been unable to confirm whether the drone entered Poland's airspace before flying into Lithuania.
Vilnius has echoed Kyiv's explanation, saying that the drone was likely part of a Ukrainian attack against St. Petersburg but was diverted by Russian electronic warfare.
The Polish prime minister said he would discuss the incident with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, whom he is hosting in Warsaw.
"We will cooperate very closely with Lithuania and will certainly clarify this drone incident," Tusk noted.
Poland and the Baltic countries are among the NATO members most affected by drone incursions spilling over from Russia's war against Ukraine.
Both Poland and Lithuania border Russia's fortified exclave of Kaliningrad and Moscow's key ally, Belarus.
Stray Ukrainian drones diverted by Russian jamming, as well as Russian drones and missiles launched against targets in Ukraine, have repeatedly entered NATO airspace, prompting local governments to ramp up security measures.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that Poland does not allow operations to be conducted on or over our territory without the explicit consent of the Polish state," Tusk said.
"That will not change, no matter who might be conducting those operations."
Kyiv has previously refuted that it would be using NATO airspace for its attacks against Russian targets.
Poland has backed Ukraine's resistance against Russia throughout the full-scale war, but their ties took a hit earlier this year after Kyiv named one of its military units after the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
After a period of tensions, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 18 that "our relations with Poland have indeed improved."
