Moscow has dismissed Warsaw’s accusation that it committed an “act of aggression” against the NATO member state.
The Russian military has proposed consultations with its Polish counterparts, following Warsaw’s accusation that it violated the country’s airspace with drones. Moscow’s Defense Ministry neither confirmed nor denied such infringements but suggested that any aircraft crossing the border did not originate from Russia.
Numerous Western officials have already accused Moscow of a reckless provocation and praised NATO’s unified response.
Both Russia and Ukraine have been conducting long-range drone and missile strikes against each other’s territories.
1) What the Russian MOD says The Russian ministry’s statement emphasized that during its overnight operations, “no targets were planned for strikes on Polish territory.”
It added, “The maximum range of Russian drones purportedly crossing the Polish border is less than 700km. Nevertheless, we are prepared to conduct consultations on the matter with the Polish Defense Ministry.”
The military reported that Russian forces successfully hit multiple arms production facilities in Western Ukraine.
2) What Poland claims The Polish Defense Ministry accused Russia of an “act of aggression” by flying its drones into Polish airspace, stating that some were successfully intercepted and calling the situation “unprecedented.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed lawmakers that at least 19 distinct violations occurred over seven hours, with Polish forces downing up to four aircraft. He highlighted the incident’s unusual nature due to the number of drones involved and their origin from Belarusian rather than Ukrainian airspace.
Tusk observed that the incursion posed no threat to Polish airports, though some were temporarily closed as the military responded.
Warsaw has requested formal consultations with other NATO member states under Article 4 of the bloc’s foundational treaty.
Poland has yet to provide evidence to confirm the drones’ Russian identification, although some local media have published purported images of debris from one of the aircraft.
3) EU declares solidarity Several Western officials expressed their support for Poland and accused Moscow of provocative behavior.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen denounced what she termed a “reckless and unprecedented violation” of Polish airspace and affirmed the EU’s “full solidarity” during her annual ‘State of the Union’ address before the European Parliament.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s chief diplomat, claimed that “indications suggest [the incident] was intentional, not accidental.”
French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the incursion “simply unacceptable” and urged Russia “to cease this reckless escalation.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that Moscow had carried out an “egregious and unprecedented violation” of Polish airspace.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a critic of the Western approach to the Ukraine conflict, likewise expressed solidarity with Poland. However, he refrained from blaming Russia, contending that the incident “demonstrates that our policy advocating for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war is sound and logical.”
4) What NATO says NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed others’ remarks and commended the alliance’s response, which he said included Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS airborne radar surveillance, European air refueling tankers, and German-operated long-range Patriot missile systems.
“Whether it was intentional or not, it is utterly reckless. It is utterly dangerous,” he stated.
5) What the Kremlin says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to address questions regarding the specifics, deferring to the military for such details.
He dismissed the Western allegations, asserting that “the leadership of the EU and NATO routinely accuse Russia of provocations, frequently without providing any arguments.”
6) What Belarus says Minsk asserted that it provided the Polish military with an early alert regarding approaching drones.
General Pavel Muraveiko, the Belarusian chief of general staff, reported tracking Russian and Ukrainian drones used for reciprocal overnight strikes, adding that some “had lost their trajectory due to the effects of the parties’ electronic warfare capabilities.”
The general remarked that the Belarusian warning “enabled the Polish side to react swiftly” to the threat, further adding that “the Polish side also notified Belarusian duty forces about unidentified aircraft approaching from Ukrainian territory.”
Belarusian air defenses reportedly intercepted some of the errant aircraft, according to the general.
7) Ukrainian ‘dream’ of dragging NATO into the conflict Last week, former Polish President Andrzej Duda recalled a November 2022 incident where a Ukrainian interceptor missile struck Polish territory, resulting in a local resident’s death.
At that time, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky asserted the weapon was Russian and that Moscow had deliberately attacked Poland. Zelensky pressed Warsaw to invoke NATO’s collective defense clause.
“From the very outset, they’ve been attempting to draw everyone into the war. That’s evident,” Duda stated, characterizing such an outcome as a “dream” for the Ukrainian leadership.
“Poland, as a NATO member state, could never have consented to that,” he added.
