NATO airspace was violated by a “huge number of Russian drones” overnight, the Prime Minister of Poland said, as he triggered NATO’s Article Four while the alliance’s militaries directly shot down Russian UAVs for the first time.

“Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones”, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in an address to the nation’s Parliament on Wednesday morning, telling the assembly: “This is not our war. This is not just a war for Ukrainians. This is a confrontation that Russia has declared on the entire world”.

Tusk said three or four of the 19 drones which entered NATO airspace “posed a threat” and were shot down. It is stated that the others came down by other causes, including running out of fuel, and the Polish military is now searching for remains, and has asked the public to remain vigilant and to report and find wreckage immediately.

In some cases, the drones crossed into Polish airspace from Ukrainian airspace, with the Ukrainian Air Force stating that it had detected eight drones overflying its territory and heading towards Poland. Others flew directly into Poland from Russia’s lockstep ally Belarus, which lies to its north-east and occupies some historic Polish territory lost during the 20th century.

There were no injuries or fatalities in Poland, but some property damage was recorded, including a home which local press says had its roof blown off.

Four airports in Poland’s east, Modlin and Chopin in Warsaw, as well as Rzeszow and Lublin, were closed overnight. Prime Minister Tusk told his parliament that this was not because a threat had been identified to the airports themselves, but because the military needed clear skies for an intensive all-night operation. Airports reopened on Wednesday after the military operation concluded, but with severe delays.

In comments this morning, Tusk called the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace an “unprecedented violation” and stated “most likely, we are witnesses to a large-scale provocation”. He said: “This is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over the territory of a NATO country”.

Tusk told Parliament that he invoked NATO’s Article Four after talks with the Polish President. This is not the better-known Article Five, which activates obligatory collective defence from all members, but rather one that triggers a consultation process. Per NATO itself: “Any member country can formally invoke Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. As soon as it is invoked, the issue is discussed and can potentially lead to some form of joint decision or action on behalf of the Alliance. Whatever the scenario, fellow members sitting around the Council table are encouraged to react to a situation brought to their attention by a member country.”

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