Speaking in parliament, Tusk said drones breached Poland’s airspace 19 times, with several entering from Russia’s ally Belarus for the first time since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He told lawmakers that the unprecedented scale of the incursion prompted Poland to formally request consultations under Article 4, which allows NATO members to meet when a nation’s territorial integrity or security is at risk.
“We will be expecting much stronger support in defending Poland’s airspace,” Tusk said, adding that the decision to trigger Article 4 was made jointly with President Karol Nawrocki.
The Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces said multiple Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace during Moscow’s overnight attack on Ukraine. Those deemed a threat were shot down, officials said, with no casualties reported.
The Polish military reported the first drone incursion around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday and the last around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, saying the operation lasted through the night.
Tusk said Polish forces "shot down three drones and likely destroyed a fourth." He praised the military’s response, saying procedures “worked flawlessly” and the decision-making process was “without fault.”
He stressed there were no casualties, but urged the public not to approach drone debris as recovery operations continued.
“What is new, and in the worst sense of the word, is the direction from which the drones came,” Tusk said. “For the first time, a significant number crossed directly from Belarus into Polish airspace.”
'Closer than ever to open conflict since WWII'
The prime minister warned that the incident brings Poland “closer than ever to open conflict since World War II,” though he emphasised the country "is not at war."
Tusk said he and his defence and foreign ministers were in close contact with allies.
He vowed to mobilise support “starting from Washington” and insisted Russia’s aggression should be seen as a challenge to the entire Western world.
“This is not just Ukraine’s war,” Tusk said. “This is a confrontation that Russia has declared against the whole free world.”
The incursion comes ahead of joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2025 military exercises, scheduled to begin near the Polish border on Friday.
Tusk said Poland faces “critical days” ahead but pledged to keep lawmakers and the public fully informed.
Poland, a NATO and EU member bordering Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, has reported several isolated airspace violations since 2022, but officials said the overnight incident marked the first time allied and Polish forces used live weapons against multiple drones.
Article 4 of the NATO treaty calls for urgent consultations among allies when a member's security is threatened. The clause has been invoked several times in NATO history, including by Poland in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info