Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Monday that Poland will shoot down any flying object that violates its airspace, following a series of drone incidents in recent weeks. “We will take the decision to shoot down any flying object when it violates our territory and flies over Poland – there is absolutely no discussion about it,” Tusk said during a press conference in Warsaw.
The remarks came after Poland reported that Russian drones had entered its airspace earlier this month, prompting NATO to bolster defenses along its eastern flank. According to Tusk, at least three Russian drones were shot down by Polish and allied NATO aircraft inside Polish airspace. He emphasized that this marked the first time Russian drones had been downed on NATO territory, describing it as a development that “changes the political situation.” Tusk added that Warsaw had invoked NATO’s Article 4, which allows members to convene consultations over threats to their security.
While affirming Poland’s readiness to act decisively against incursions, Tusk urged caution in other cases. He referred to the recent flight of Russian fighter jets over the Petrobaltic platform, stressing that although such maneuvers were provocative, they did not constitute a violation since the platform is located outside Polish territorial waters. “We really need to think twice before deciding on actions that could trigger an acute phase of conflict,” he cautioned.
