Poland said yesterday that it had shot down Russian drones that entered its airspace during a huge attack on targets across the border in Ukraine, calling it an “act of aggression” by Moscow. Via the New York Times:
It was the first time that Russian drones had been shot down over the territory of a NATO country, Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, said.
“We are dealing with a large-scale provocation,” he said. “The situation is serious, and no one doubts that we must prepare for various scenarios.”
It was not clear in the early aftermath exactly how many drones had crossed into Poland. The Ukrainian Air Force put the figure at eight or more, part of a broader Russian attack overnight that sent 415 drones into Ukraine. The Polish military said the number of drones in its airspace had been more than a dozen, though it did not say how many had been shot down. Mr. Tusk cited a total of 19, according to Polish television.
NATO air forces, including Poland’s, launched warplanes and put ground-based air defenses on high alert, the Polish military said, adding that Dutch F-35 fighters had taken part in the response. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Poland.
