Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia, by carrying out drone attacks on European Union countries, aims to test the capabilities of the European security system and influence public opinion to decrease the volume of aid to Ukraine, especially ahead of the winter period.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Increasing Threat to Europe
According to Zelensky, recently Russian drones were heading towards Poland — a total of 92 units. Ukrainian forces shot them down over their territory, but 19 drones still reached Polish airspace. Zelensky emphasized that similar incidents could occur in other EU states, including Italy, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Romania, the Baltic states, and Poland. The President believes that Vladimir Putin is testing the reaction of European countries and their readiness for defense.
“Ninety-two drones were heading to Poland. We shot them all down over Ukraine. Nineteen made it to them. But we see the direction and, as they say, the choreography of this flight. Italy might still be next. You see Norway, Denmark. There are signals from Sweden. And there are Romanians, Poles, and the Baltic states. Putin is checking what the Europeans have. Some of these countries may be concerned about supplying air defense systems to Ukraine. And they might want to keep them for themselves. But it doesn’t work that way. You can’t shoot down drones with Patriot systems. Because there simply aren’t enough missiles in the world. Therefore, knowledge is needed: knowledge of our mobile fire groups, knowledge of our drone operators, knowledge of our Air Force leadership, all of our air defense leaders,” the head of state wrote on social media platform X.
During a press conference following the UN General Assembly session, Zelensky also highlighted this issue, emphasizing that Moscow’s current actions are an attempt to divide European solidarity regarding military support for Ukraine.
Reactions from NATO Countries and Official Moscow
In September, several NATO member countries reported the detection of Russian drones in their airspace. In particular, on September 20, police in Warmia and Masuria in northern Poland discovered an “unidentified object” near a residential building, as reported by Karolina Galecka, spokesperson for the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration.
On the night of September 10, it was recorded that 19 drones crossed the Polish border, three of which were shot down by Polish military forces. The protection of the airspace involved not only Polish aircraft but also those of allies stationed in the country.
The official position of Moscow, voiced by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, claims that Russia is not conducting drone or missile attacks on EU or NATO countries, and that Polish airspace could not have been violated by drones from the territory of the Russian Federation through Belarus or Ukraine.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki assessed the incursion of Russian drones as an attempt to test the reaction not only of Warsaw but also of the entire NATO security system.