Poland shoots down Russian drones after major airspace violation as WW3 fears escalate

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed his country has shot down multiple Russian drones that violated its airspace amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The conflict took place early Wednesday morning (September 10), after as many of 19 drone incursions were recorded by Poland overnight.

Tusk said the violations took place during an attack on Ukraine, and described the situation as a 'large-scale provocation' which required further action from Poland.

He said: "The situation is serious, and no one doubts that we must prepare for various scenarios."

Tusk said a number of the aircraft had flown in Belarus - an ally of Russia which is known to be used as a launch pad for attacks on Ukraine. Of the 19 drones recorded, of them were shot down.

Officials gathered to discuss the violation after the drones were shot down (Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

However, Belarus has claimed the drones 'lost their way', alleging it had also shot down some drones over its own territory, while Russia slammed the accusations from Poland as 'groundless'.

Speaking to the state news agency RIA, per NBC News, Andrei Ordash, Moscow’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw, said: "Russia is absolutely not interested in any escalation with Poland."

He added that 'no evidence' had been presented to show the drones were of Russian origin.

In spite of the backlash, Polish military’s operational command dubbed the strikes an 'act of aggression'.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Polish President Karol Nawrocki assured residents: "The security of our Homeland is the highest priority."

In the wake of the airspace violations, Tusk announced that he had activated article four of NATO’s treaty, which allows alliance members to demand consultations with their allies.

Tusk thanked NATO for stepping in (X/@donaldtusk)

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart responded to the incident on X, saying: "Numerous drones entered Polish airspace overnight and were met with Polish and NATO air defenses."

The response from NATO marks the first time its assets have directly engaged with Russian targets since Russian President Vladimir Putin first began the war in 2022.

European leaders including the UK's Keir Starmer have criticized the airspace violation, with the news coming after a YouGov poll found that 45 percent of Americans think another world war is likely to occur within the next few years.

In a statement, Starmer said: "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."

After the drones were shot down, the operational command of Poland's Armed Forces said the security of the airspace has now been stabilized, with its radar and ground-based air defense systems having returned to their standard activities.