Poland says ‘huge number’ of Russian drones violated airspace

Polish officials have said the country’s airspace was violated by Russian drones, with the military and its Nato allies shooting down some that posed a direct threat.

The country’s prime minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media: “Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.”

The armed forces posted on social media that a search for possible crash sites is ongoing and urged people not to approach, touch or move any objects they see, warning that they may pose a threat and could contain hazardous material.

Defence minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X that “more than 10 objects” crossed into Polish airspace and those that constituted a risk to Poland’s security were neutralised.

Mr Tusk wrote on X that he had received a report from the Operational Command of the Army about “the shutting down of drones that entered our airspace and could constitute a threat”.

He said he informed the Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte about actions undertaken by the Polish side.

Poland’s armed forces were on a heightened state of alert on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning because of what they described as “further massive air strikes against targets located in Ukraine”.

Warsaw’s Chopin Airport warned passengers on its website that flight operations are on hold due to closure of the airspace over part of the country, but that the airport remains open.

Poland has complained about Russian objects entering its airspace during attacks on Ukraine before.

In August, Poland’s defence minister said that a flying object that crashed and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland was identified as a Russian drone, and called it a provocation by Russia.

In March, Poland scrambled jets after a Russian missile briefly passed through Polish airspace on its way to a target in western Ukraine, and in 2022, a missile that was likely fired by Ukraine to intercept a Russian attack landed in Poland, killing two people.

Joint military exercises involving Russian and Belarusian troops are due to take place in Belarus starting on Friday and will last until September 16.

Troops from both countries will simulate repelling an attack, including airstrikes and sabotage, according to official reports of the games, dubbed “Zapad 2025,” or “West 2025”.

The aim is to showcase the close links between Moscow and Minsk, as well as Russian military might, amid its three-and-a-half-year-old war in neighbouring Ukraine.

The war games have drawn concerns in Kyiv and its Western allies of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which border Belarus.

When Russian president Vladimir Putin sent troops rolling into Ukraine on February 24 2022, many of them crossed from Belarus.