Nato forces shoot down Russian drones over Poland

Financial Times ^ | September 9, 2025 | Raphael Minder, Steff Chávez, and Henry Foy

[Timber Rattler]

Nato fighter jets have shot down Russian drones over Polish airspace for the first time, after what Warsaw described as an “unprecedented violation” of its territory that led it to trigger emergency consultations in the alliance.

The operation in the early hours of Wednesday, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, involved Dutch and Polish fighter jets, while German Patriot missiles were put on alert and an Italian early warning aircraft provided support.

The alliance said it was “committed to defending every kilometre of Nato territory, including our airspace”.

It marks the most serious clash between Russia and the US-led military alliance since the start of Moscow’s full-blown war against Ukraine in February 2022.

In a televised address, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the country and its allies had successfully responded to “a large-scale provocation” by Russia, adding that no injuries were reported and that Warsaw stood ready to respond to further aggression.

He later told parliament that an estimated 19 drones entered Poland’s airspace, of which about four were shot down, adding that “a significant portion” had been flown from Russia’s ally Belarus.

Nato leaders condemned what they described as Moscow’s “testing” of the military alliance’s defences, just two days before Russia and Belarus begin large-scale war games on the alliance’s eastern borders.

[Timber Rattler]

Putin testing NATO's rapid response capabilities, while also threatening Finland. "Escalating to de-escalate."

I wonder what Trump's going to say about all this today?

See also:

CNBC: Poland shoots down Russian drones as Ukraine warns Putin is ‘testing the West’

FOX NEWS: Poland shoots down drones in its airspace during Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine

[mewzilla]

https://www.euronews.com/2025/09/10/poland-activates-nato-article-4-to-consult-allies-after-russian-drone-incursion

[Openurmind]

“a significant portion” had been flown from Russia’s ally Belarus.”

[GOPJ]

Poland activates NATO Article 4 to consult allies after Russian drone incursion

https://www.euronews.com/2025/09/10/poland-activates-nato-article-4-to-consult-allies-after-russian-drone-incursion

ping

[Mount Athos]

I suspect the rational people will not jump to the conclusion that the incursion was intentional

[desertsolitaire]

How could it have been accidental?

[bert]

Putin is desperate. Broke and losing his ass in Ukraine, Putin is trying to get peace by threatening Poland.

Like Hamas, Putin et al must be destroyed.

[Mount Athos]

It is common for Electronic Warfare to result in drones going off course.

[McGruff]

Article 4 states that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.

Looks like strongly worded letter to follow.

[DesertRhino]

Probably from Ukraine. Like the Ukes missile fired into Poland to try to drag NATO in.

[lonestar67]

Putin is doing exactly what I knew he would do after Alaska.

Trump knows what to do.

Peepers can just cry now.

[Timber Rattler]

It is common for Electronic Warfare to result in drones going off course.

All 19 of them?

[Timber Rattler]

Nope, they were launched from Belarus.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

What a fascinating story. Not wanting to pay for an FT subscription to “unlock” the whole, I read only what you excerpted.

From that excerpt: "...an estimated 19 drones entered Poland's airspace, of which about four were shot down, adding that 'a significant portion' had been flown from Russia's ally Belarus."

One sentence leaving so many questions:

1) Arithmetic -- 19 "estimated" minus "about" 4 shot down = 15. Where are the other 15?

2) "Estimated" and "about", as prose, means no exact tally has been made, one half a day into this event. The "significant portion" is not a number with which one may evaluate, but if Belarus is not the only "flown from," then where else across Poland's border is there a 'from'?

The options beyond "from" Belarus seem to be "from" Kaliningard (Russia, but fully surrounded by Lithuania), Lithuania, Ukraine, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Most of the reported civil airports in the news cluster along the Ukrainian border, so surely Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania are not "near."

3) The FOX article associated in this thread mentions: " 'The Territorial Defense Forces have been activated for ground searches of downed drones,' Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X. 'We ask for calm and to share only the announcements of the military and state services. In case of encountering object fragments, please do not approach them and inform the police'."

This is most interesting, as the reports suggest the drones were watched on some sort of radar or the like, located in order to be shot down, and yet the debris is not yet been located nor tallied?

Elsewhere one learned that the Polish SkyCTRL anti-drone system was inoperative, not having been completed. Such much information couples to so little information as yet.

The next days' of actual news about the number of drones -- a missile was also mentioned in another report -- and where they were shot down and/or recovered will inform.

It is likely these details will be obscured by the political headlines. Wait and see. Trust but verify.

[desertsolitaire]

Thanks, I had forgotten that.

[Magnum44]

Irrelevant.

[Georgia Girl 2]

How could it have been accidental?

Fog of war.

[desertsolitaire]

Maybe? Trying to be open minded without being stupid.

[Georgia Girl 2]

These countries engage in provocative antics with each other all the time. Even if it was purposeful its not a precursor to A Russian invasion of Poland. Putin does not have the where with all or the will to take on NATO. Right now he’s just trying to position himself to get the best deal possible in a peace agreement with the Ukraine.

[Semper Vigilantis]

The Maine (boiler explosion) Spanish-American war

The Lusitania (transporting munitions to GB) WW1

Pearl Harbor (while looking for an excuse no one saw that coming /s) WW2

Tonkin Gulf (Johnson wants to kick some ass) Vietnam conflict war

Sept 11 ( Lil Bush wanting an excuse) Iraq/Afganistan

Poland?

Any excuse / 'surprise' will do....