At Least Three Drones Downed and Four Airports Closed During the Event

On September 10, a Russian drone strike on western Ukraine crossed a little too far into Poland’s borders, forcing four of its key airports to halt operations. The nation’s Air Force responded by shooting down at least three aircraft, marking the first time that Russian drones have been downed in NATO territory since the major 2022 invasion.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that 19 incursions were recorded overnight. Some drones wandered far enough into Poland to trigger closures at Warsaw Chopin, Modlin, Rzeszow, and Lublin airports. Poland’s armed forces deployed both Polish and allied aircraft, with Dutch F-35s quickly joining the response.

The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the closures, harping on the impact at Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport. That airport has been a crucial hub for both passengers and arms transfers into Ukraine. Civilian drone use has also been banned, and nighttime flight restrictions have been implemented along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus through December 9. Latvia followed suit, shutting down sections of its own border airspace until at least September 18.

Russia insisted there were “no plans” to target Poland and suggested that the drones couldn’t possibly have flown that far. Belarus went with a different excuse, blaming navigational jamming for any accidental crossings. Ukrainian officials called the incident an “extremely dangerous precedent for Europe,” warning that the conflict is no longer just between Russia and Ukraine.

This is not the first time Poland has seen side effects from the war. In 2022, a stray Ukrainian missile struck a Polish village and killed two people, putting NATO on edge. Until now, no Russian aircraft had been shot down inside the alliance’s borders.

"This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two," Tusk said.

FMI: www.nato.int