Poland Downs Russian drones as ‘enormous number’ violation of airspace, says Prime Minister

New York and London – Polish airspace was violated at night by a “huge number of” Russian drones, said the country’s prime minister, a flood of activity that caused a response from the NATO country’s Air Force that clambed and landed several drones.

“Those drones that were a direct threat were shot”, “Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday early on social media. “I am constantly in communication with the NATO secretary general and our allies.”

Polish and Allied aircraft-included Dutch F-35 fighter jets in the air at night to “help Suey insure Polish skies,” the army said. Those operations ended early on Wednesday, Warsaw said, adding that the search went on to drones and potential impact sites.

The military order of the country described the violations as ‘unprecedented’, and said that they came down to ‘an act of aggression that was a real threat to the safety of our citizens’.

Polish authorities have not reported victims with regard to the drone raid.

NATO-Secretary-General Mark Rutte was “closely over Poland,” Allison Hart, a spokesperson for the block, said On social media. She confirmed that “numerous” drones had arrived and said NATO defense was activated.

NATO’s highest headquarters Allied Powers Europe said in a statement to social media that the German patriot of surface-air rakety systems was placed in Poland alert and that an Italian early warning aircraft were deployed in the air. A NATO tank plane was also launched.

The French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident as “just unacceptable.” He in a post to X: “I call on Russia to put an end to this reckless escalation. I repeat the Polish people and their government our full solidarity.”

President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission told X in Post: “Europe is a fight. A fight for our freedom and our ability to determine our fate for ourselves.”

“Today we have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe [airspace] By more than 10 Russian Shahed drones, “Von der Leyen added.” Europe is in full solidarity with Poland. “

The Ukrainian President VolodyMyr Zenskyy described on Wednesday asked the violation as “a different escalation step”, and said that at least eight Russian drones had entered the Polish airspace.

“An extremely dangerous precedent for Europe,” he said in Ukrainian about the Message app Telegram.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia was planning to send the drones to the NATO air space. Russian and Ukrainian drones are known to take course during long -distance attacks due to electronic warfare measures used by the fighters.

The raids occurred during a large Russian strike on Ukraine, the Air Force in Kiev said it consisted of 415 drones and 35 rockets. Of these, 386 drones and 27 rockets were intercepted or suppressed, the Air Force said.

The Kremlin did not immediately issue a statement, but Zenskyy positioned the violation as something other than an accident – saying that it might have been considered one if it had only been one drone that crossed the border.

Zenskyy called for Russia’s consequences and said that Moscow must “feel that the war cannot be expanded and must be terminated.”

Military officers in Poland said earlier that the airspace of the country “was repeatedly violated by drone-type objects” in the night hours in the midst of Russian strikes on goals in Ukraine.

“There is an operation going on aimed at identifying and neutralizing the objects,” said the Polish army in one of the first statements that every people encouraged to stay at home.

The most endangered areas were Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lubelskie, said Poland. Polish security services said they sent a text message to mobile phones in the area – sending the type of alert that has become a nocturnal appearance in neighboring Ukraine.

Earlier, the Polish army said it brought in jets and took “preventive” action during the “massive attack” that Russia was carried out at facilities in Ukraine.

“Polish and Allied aircraft are active in our airspace, and on the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness,” the army said in the earlier statement.

Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, asked an extraordinary government meeting together on Wednesday and brought together the emergency situations and military officials of the country.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who also serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs, came together before that meeting with Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, according to Poland. Jacek Najder, the representative of Poland at NATO, was also present, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country.

“The safety of Polish women and men is the greatest priority,” the ministry said prior to the meeting.

Tusk in the Emergency Cabinet Meeting said that there was “no reason to panic,” said the chancellery.

“The procedures were implemented correctly, the decision -making process was flawless and the threat was effectively eliminated thanks to the determined actions of commanders, soldiers and our allies,” Tusk said during the meeting, according to his office. “I am deeply grateful.”

The Ministry of Defense in Wit -Russia – which is tailored to Russia and helped its invasion of Ukraine – said in a statement that his troops also reduced drones that went out of the course “as a result of the impact of the electronic warfare of the parties.”

Minsk said it shared information with neighboring Poles and Lithuania about the incoming drones. “This allowed the Polish side to respond immediately to the actions of the drones by scrambling their troops,” the ministry said.

The Ministry added that the Polish troops had also informed the white -Russian troops of incoming non -created planes from Ukrainian territory.

A official from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense told ABC News that there were no violations of Lithuanian airspace at night.

In Romania-Die, Ukraine borders to the southwestern Zei The Ministry of Defense that two F-16 fighter jets were encrypted in response to a “group of air drones in the area of ​​the Ukrainian city of Valcov, on the border with Romania.”

No drones came to the Romanian airspace, the ministry said in a statement.