Poland’s foreign minister has said that a recent Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace was a deliberate attempt by Moscow to test Nato’s response without triggering a full-scale conflict. The statement came as Romania also reported a similar violation, prompting strong protests against Russia.
Radosław Sikorski explained that the drones which entered Poland were capable of carrying ammunition but were not armed, suggesting Russia sought to provoke without escalating to open war. He noted that while only a few of the drones were shot down, they failed to hit targets and caused only minor damage. Poland has since announced that its anti-drone teams will receive training from Ukrainian operators, who have extensive experience countering Russian aerial threats.
In response, Nato confirmed it would deploy more jets to the alliance’s eastern flank. Over the weekend, Polish and allied aircraft were mobilised due to fresh drone threats, and authorities temporarily closed Lublin airport as a precaution.
Romania, which also scrambled fighter jets to track Russian drones, condemned the airspace violation as an “unacceptable and irresponsible act” and summoned Moscow’s ambassador. The incident was described as a threat to regional security by both Romania and EU leaders.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that the situation has brought Poland closer to direct conflict with Russia “than at any time since the second world war.” Sikorski added that Poland’s response would have been far tougher had there been casualties, stressing that only strong countermeasures can deter Moscow.