Poland warns it will shoot down airspace violators amid rising tensions
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland will not hesitate to shoot down foreign objects that enter its territory, while urging caution in more ambiguous situations.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Tusk stressed that NATO member Poland would defend its skies after a series of recent incidents involving Russian aircraft and drones. “We will take the decision to shoot down flying objects when they violate our territory and fly over Poland – there is absolutely no discussion about that,” he said, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The warning comes after Estonia accused three Russian fighter jets of breaching its airspace on Friday, an allegation Moscow has denied. Earlier this month, Poland reported that more than 20 Russian drones entered its territory, while two Russian jets flew dangerously close to the Petrobaltic oil platform in the Baltic Sea.
Tusk noted that decisions in cases short of direct violations must be made carefully to avoid escalation. “You really need to think twice before deciding on actions that could trigger a very acute phase of conflict,” he said, adding that Poland must also be assured of unified support from NATO allies if tensions rise further.
The United Nations Security Council is set to discuss the latest airspace incidents on Monday.
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