Poland shoots down Russian drones in NATO’s first direct engagement
Poland has shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace during a mass attack on Ukraine overnight on September 10, marking the first direct engagement by a NATO member against Russian assets since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Warsaw temporarily closed Chopin Airport and placed air defenses on high alert. Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the Polish military used weapons against the drones and had informed NATO’s Secretary General. Both Polish and NATO aircraft were scrambled in response, News.az reports, citing Kyiv Independent.
Authorities urged residents in Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions to remain indoors, while U.S. aviation authorities confirmed the temporary closure of several Polish airports, including Rzeszów–Jasionka, a key logistics hub for Ukraine.
U.S. lawmakers called the attack an “act of war.” Congressman Joe Wilson and Senator Dick Durbin said Russia is testing NATO’s resolve to defend Poland and the Baltics.
The incident comes amid one of Russia’s largest aerial assaults in weeks, with strikes reported across Vinnytsia, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv. Ukraine said at least 24 people were killed in one strike on a village during pension payouts.
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