Polish officials said Wednesday its forces had shot down a “huge number” of Russian drones overnight that violated the country’s airspace during an attack on Ukraine.
Polish fighter jets, backed by NATO aircraft from Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, intercepted and destroyed the drones, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. He added that allies stood in solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s “reckless behavior.”
“Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X. “I am in constant communication with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies.”
He said 19 drones had been in Polish airspace, later telling Parliament that Russia had gone too far.
“I have no reason to claim we’re on the brink of war, but a line has been crossed, and it’s incomparably more dangerous than before,” Tusk said, according to Reuters. “This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II.”
The Kremlin refused to comment on the situation.
“This is not for us to do so,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the BBC. “It’s a matter for the [Russian] defence ministry.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it did not target Poland, and General Pavel Muraveiko, the Russian-aligned commander of Belarus’s armed forces, claimed that the drones “lost their course as a result of electronic warfare.”
Several European leaders condemned the drone incursion.
“This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day,” said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“Hungary stands in full solidarity with Poland following the recent drone incident. The violation of Poland’s territorial integrity is unacceptable,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on X. “The incident proves that our policy of calling for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war is reasonable and rational. Living in the shadow of a war is fraught with risks and dangers. It’s time to make it stop! To this end, we support the efforts of President [Donald Trump] aimed at achieving peace.”
President Donald Trump has pushed for an end to the Ukraine-Russia war, but the fighting between the two countries has continued. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have not yet met to discuss a possible end to the conflict.