On the night of September 10, Poland’s airspace was violated by Russian drones. According to Piotr Lukasiewicz, the acting chargé d’affaires of Poland in Ukraine, this attack was a political signal from Russia aimed at weakening Poland’s support for Ukraine and testing NATO’s reaction.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Russia’s Provocation and NATO’s Response
The diplomat emphasized that Russia’s actions were deliberate and not a result of coincidence. He stated that the Polish Armed Forces acted according to the level of threat, and the drones only fell on Polish territory after it was determined that they posed no danger. Poland received significant support from NATO allies, and the Alliance’s response was clear and exemplary.
“This was meant to be a political and military signal intended to somewhat scare the Poles. But whatever the intentions, they did not materialize; they did not achieve their goal. These were Russian drones. This was not a mistake. We know that these drones were deliberately directed at Poland by Russia. They were drones that did not veer off course; this was not due to some error, but they were aimed at Poland when the Polish Armed Forces recognized that they posed no threat, and the drones simply fell somewhere. I want to emphasize that the response of the Polish Armed Forces, particularly the air force and air defense, was adequate to the level of threat and the nature of this incursion,” Lukasiewicz stated.
Support for Ukraine and Strengthening Cooperation
Lukasiewicz noted that the incident will only strengthen cooperation between Poland and Ukraine, and Poland is ready to adopt the experience of its Ukrainian partners in security matters. He stressed that the war at Poland’s borders has a direct impact on neighboring countries, including Romania and the Baltic states, where similar incidents have also occurred. The case involving the 19 drones confirmed the lack of coincidence in Russia’s actions. The diplomat is convinced that NATO is prepared to respond in the event of further provocations.
During the attack, Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace while a massive bombardment of Ukrainian territory was taking place. NATO forces shot down some of the drones, and Polish authorities reported that most of the drones entered the country from Belarus.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that strikes were aimed at facilities of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and that no targets were allegedly planned for engagement on Polish territory. At the same time, the Polish government emphasized that the penetration of the drones was intentional.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte underscored that Alliance allies expressed solidarity with Poland and condemned Russia’s actions, which pose a threat to security on NATO’s eastern flank.