As Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed on social media platform X, the Polish Security Service neutralized a drone that was operating over government buildings and the presidential palace. Two individuals from Belarus were arrested in connection with the incident, and the police are investigating the circumstances surrounding it.
Polish airspace was violated by Russian drones on Tuesday night last week, several of which were shot down. The country then activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty (consultations between member states on a security threat).
It was the first case since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 in which Warsaw used military assets directly in its airspace, including allied ones.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed at the end of last week the deployment of the “Eastern Sentry” mission to the alliance's eastern border, noting that “Russia's recklessness in the air is becoming increasingly frequent.”
The incident also prompted the UN Security Council to convene on September 12. The statement read by Polish Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki before the meeting was supported by a total of 43 countries. They called on Russia to end “its aggressive war against Ukraine” and refrain from further provocations.
The United States joined its Western allies in a joint statement expressing concern about the incursion of Russian drones into Poland and accusing Moscow of violating international law and the founding charter of the United Nations.
(reuters, max)