EditComing of age? Poland’s downing of Russian drones marks NATO’s first shots in Ukraine war
Unlike Ukraine, which faces nightly barrages of hundreds of drones, NATO’s defences are not optimized for such threats
On 10 September Poland became the first NATO member to engage militarily in Russia’s war in Ukraine, shooting down multiple suspected Russian drones that violated its airspace during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.
The unprecedented incident, involving Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, and NATO refuelling aircraft, saw at least eight of up to 23 drones downed, with one crashing into a house in Wyryki-Wola.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described it as “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two,” while stressing there was “no reason to believe we’re on the brink of war.”
The event, potentially a Russian test of NATO’s defences, prompted Poland to invoke Article 4 of NATO’s treaty for consultations, raising concerns about the Alliance’s drone defence capabilities and the risk of escalation with Russia, a major nuclear power.
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a conservative nationalist and political ally whom Trump hosted at the White House last week. “This conversation is part of a series of consultations I’ve been conducting with our allies,” Nawrocki said in a post on X. “Today’s talks reaffirmed our unity.”
Ahead of the phone call, Trump posted on social media: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” He did not elaborate.
Incident details and impact
The incursion began around 11:30 p.m. CEST on 9 September, with up to 23 Russian kamikaze drones entering Polish airspace from Belarus, a Moscow ally. Polish and NATO forces responded swiftly, neutralizing drones deemed threatening. One drone struck a two-story home in Wyryki-Wola at 6:30 a.m., destroying its roof and scattering debris across a pensioner’s bedroom, though no casualties were reported.
Another crash left a blackened field in southeastern Poland. Poland temporarily closed key airports, including Rzeszow, a critical hub for Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. Tusk called it a “large-scale provocation,” noting some drones appeared aimed at Rzeszow airport, NATO’s primary logistics point for Ukraine.
The drones, identified as Gerbera-type – inexpensive, long-range UAVs assembled from Chinese kits in Russia – highlighted the challenge of low-cost drone warfare. Their penetration into NATO airspace exposed vulnerabilities in air defences designed for missiles and manned aircraft, not mass UAV incursions.
A Polish military source suggested Russia was testing NATO’s warning systems and response capabilities, particularly around strategic sites like Rzeszow.
Strategic context
This marks the most significant spillover of the Ukraine war into NATO territory. Previous minor incursions by missiles or debris in Poland, Latvia, and Romania did not prompt military action, though a 2022 Ukrainian missile killed two Poles, underscoring the risks. The scale and potential intent of this incident – targeting NATO infrastructure- set it apart.
Poland’s invocation of Article 4, used seven times since NATO’s 1949 founding, facilitates consultations without triggering Article 5’s collective defence clause. The event’s proximity to Article 5, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all, highlights the delicate balance between deterrence and avoiding direct conflict with Russia.
Moscow’s denial and NATO’s response
Russia’s Defence Ministry denied targeting Poland, claiming its drones attacked Ukrainian military facilities, while Belarus suggested the UAVs “lost course” due to jamming. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed accusations as routine NATO rhetoric. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski, however, labelled it an “attack on NATO territory,” urging a strong response.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the “swift response” but noted an ongoing investigation into the drones’ intent, with preliminary findings indicating at least five were headed toward Rzeszow.
NATO’s drone defence challenge
The incident raises questions about NATO’s preparedness for drone warfare. The Alliance’s use of costly F-35s, F-16s, and Patriot systems to counter cheap Gerbera drones underscores cost-effectiveness concerns. Unlike Ukraine, which faces nightly barrages of hundreds of drones, NATO’s defences are not optimized for such threats.
The incident also raised questions about whether the alliance, founded more than 70 years ago during the Cold War, has the right, cost-effective military setup to deal with the relatively modern threat of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The operation involved forces from Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, demonstrating coordination but also the intensity required to address a relatively small incursion.
That multi-national arsenal was apparently enough to deal with some 19 drones, some of which were shot down if Polish authorities deemed they posed a threat.
But the war in Ukraine has been the scene of highly intense drone warfare, often involving attacks by hundreds of drones at a time.
That poses a challenge for some of NATO’s more traditional air defence systems, which were designed to protect against missiles and manned aircraft.
Sources: Reuters, DW, NATO statements. Edited by g.g.
Caption: Polish National Territorial Defense Forces at the crash site of a Russian drone in the village of Wohyn, eastern Poland, 10 September 2025. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that 19 violations of Polish airspace occurred overnight during a Russian attack on Ukraine, with drones repeatedly violating Polish airspace. EPA/WOJTEK JARGILO
Updated: September 23, 2025 - 09:34
