Week after Russian aerial incursion, Poland and Ukraine agree to form joint drone task force

Editor's note: The story was updated to include additional details.

Ukraine and Poland have agreed to create a new joint task force for unmanned systems, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 18, according to Interfax.

Shmyhal made the announcement at a press conference with Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, who is visiting Kyiv together with Polish defense officials.

The delegation's visit comes after 21 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace in an unprecedented incursion overnight on Sept. 10, marking the first time a NATO member downed Moscow's military assets over its territory.

The new Ukrainian-Polish group will serve as a platform for developing joint initiatives and focus on training programs, Shmyhal said.

"We will integrate the latest protection technologies and launch new projects aimed at strengthening the protection of our people and our critical infrastructure," the minister commented.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also confirmed hat Ukraine's and Poland's defense ministries were planning to sign a cooperation agreement focused in part on enhancing drone operation capabilities, RMF 24 reported.

"The talks will focus on the development of joint industry initiatives. I think that Poles are eagerly awaiting this, after the enormous effort we have made to help the population," the Polish minister added.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also named improving the skills of Polish troops based on Ukraine's combat experience as another priority.

Poland's Defense Ministry said its delegation is visiting Kyiv to discuss defense cooperation, support for Ukraine, and address the security situation amid Russian aggression.

As part of the visit, Shmyhal and Kosiniak-Kamysz paid tribute to soldiers killed in the war at Kyiv's Wall of Remembrance.

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Polish delegates would visit the country to study Ukraine's experience in countering Russian aerial attacks.

The Polish Defense Ministry has also announced that its and Ukrainian military specialists would jointly practice the use of drones and anti-drone systems on Polish territory.

Last week's incursion, during which Poland reportedly downed at least three drones, highlighted NATO's gaps in effectively countering mass unmanned aircraft attacks.

Ukraine faces such strikes on a much larger scale and on a regular basis, with a record 810 Russian drones deployed during an attack overnight on Sept. 8.

Warsaw called the Sept. 10 incursion a deliberate provocation, while Moscow denied aiming its drones against Polish targets. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the drones may have crossed into Poland by "mistake," an assertion denied by the Polish leadership.

Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly violated NATO airspace during attacks on Ukraine — including in Romania on Sept. 13 — but the last week's incursion marked the first case in which local defenses opened fire to intercept them.

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