Two drones violated Polish airspace amid Russian attack on Ukraine, Warsaw says
Two drones entered Polish airspace overnight on Sept. 3 but were not shot down as they posed no danger, Polish Armed Forces Operational Commander Maciej Klisz said on Sept. 4, Reuters reported.
The violation comes weeks after a Russian drone crashed in eastern Poland, which officials described as a deliberate provocation.
"We had two airspace violations," Klisz said at a news conference. "These two violations were under the full control of national forces and units assigned to the state defense system."
The drones left Polish territory without causing damage, Poland's General Staff Chief Wieslaw Kukula confirmed. The incident occurred as Russia launched a large-scale wave of drone and missile strikes on western and central Ukraine, likely causing the drones to cross into Poland.
Warsaw placed its air defenses on full alert during the attack. Dutch F-35 jets also assisted in patrolling Polish airspace, the Armed Forces Operational Command said.
Poland, a NATO member on the alliance's eastern flank, has repeatedly accused Moscow of testing its defenses through drone flights.
Poland has been among Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, supplying tanks, heavy equipment, and ammunition.
Its front-line location places it at the heart of NATO's deterrence efforts, as Western leaders warn of the risk of a wider war with Russia in the coming years.
