Poland and Ukraine are forging a new era of military cooperation, drawing together in response to a rapidly intensifying drone war that has exposed vulnerabilities across Eastern Europe and shaken the defensive posture of NATO. In a series of announcements on September 18, 2025, officials from both countries revealed sweeping plans to jointly develop, test, and deploy cutting-edge drone warfare technologies, just days after a dramatic Russian drone incursion tested Poland’s airspace and NATO’s resolve.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz signed a memorandum to create a joint working group for uncrewed systems, setting the stage for collaborative military training programs and manufacturing projects. "We will jointly test new methods of intercepting drones, exchange military experience in the field of drone warfare, and work to ensure more compatibility between the Ukrainian and Polish armed forces," Shmyhal announced on Telegram, as reported by the Associated Press.
This partnership comes at a moment of acute tension. On the night of September 17-18, Poland’s Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski reported “increased activity of Belarusian and Russian drones which tried to cross into Polish airspace.” While none of the drones succeeded, the incident prompted Poland to keep its border closed until further notice, with Kierwinski emphasizing the need to guard against “further provocations.”
Last week’s Russian drone incursion into Poland escalated the stakes, forcing NATO to scramble fighter jets to shoot down the uncrewed aircraft. The episode, described by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as a “provocation using drones,” resulted in a missile—likely fired from a Polish plane—striking a house in Poland. Tusk promised a thorough investigation, but insisted, “all responsibility for the damage still lay with Russia.”
Drone warfare has become the defining feature of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, now in its fourth year. According to the Daily Sun, Russia fired over 800 drones at Ukraine in September alone, setting a new record. On the night of September 16-17, Ukraine’s air force reported 172 drones and missiles launched by Russia across the north, south, and east of the country; Ukrainian air defenses shot down or jammed 136 of them, but missile hits and 36 UAV strikes were recorded at 13 locations.
The relentless aerial attacks have caused significant disruption. Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russian overnight assaults recently damaged rail and power services, while a Russian glide bomb struck a town in the southern Kherson region, wounding three women and a three-year-old girl. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government, however, continues to claim battlefield successes. In Donetsk, Ukrainian forces have retaken around 160 square kilometers (60 square miles) of territory and seven settlements in a recent counteroffensive, capturing nearly 100 Russian soldiers, according to Zelenskyy.
Despite these gains, Ukraine faces daunting odds. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on September 18 that Russia has over 700,000 troops on the front line—a staggering figure that underscores the scale of the conflict. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s resilience, bolstered by international support, is on full display.
One of the most significant developments is the arrival of new Western weaponry. On September 18, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will receive Patriot and HIMARS missiles as part of the first U.S. arms supply under the NATO-backed Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism. The PURL program, which pools contributions from NATO members (excluding the U.S.) to purchase American-made weapons, has already secured over $2 billion for Ukraine, with expectations to reach $3.5 billion by October as Europe steps up its funding role. “We received more than $2 billion from our partners specifically for the PURL program,” Zelenskyy said at a joint news conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. “We will receive additional money in October. I think we will have somewhere around $3.5-3.6 billion.”
The first shipments, worth $500 million each, will include missiles for the Patriot air defense systems—vital for countering Russian missile attacks—and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which have significantly enhanced Ukraine’s precision-strike capabilities. Patrick Turner, NATO’s senior representative in Ukraine, confirmed, “Four packages [under PURL] have already been funded and equipment is already flowing.”
The urgency of these deliveries is underscored by the evolving nature of the conflict. As Russia closes airports and puts oil refineries on alert for possible Ukrainian drone attacks—such as the closure of Volgograd airport and a flurry of explosions on September 18—the arms race in uncrewed systems and long-range precision weapons is accelerating. Denmark, for instance, announced it would acquire such weapons for the first time, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling it “a paradigm shift in Danish defence policy” and warning that Russia “will constitute a threat to Denmark and Europe for years to come.” Russia’s ambassador to Denmark decried the move as “pure madness,” equating it to “threatening a nuclear power publicly.” Frederiksen responded, “Of course, we will not be intimidated.”
The shadow conflict is not limited to the battlefield. Lithuania recently charged 15 people with terrorism offenses over a Russia-backed plot to send explosive parcels to Germany, Poland, and Britain, using commercial delivery services. The multinational nature of those charged—Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Ukrainian citizens—highlights the complex web of hybrid warfare now gripping Europe.
Amid the chaos, Ukraine and the United States are also looking to the future. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and Ukraine will each commit $75 million to a joint investment fund aimed at rebuilding Ukraine’s mineral sector. Ukrainian Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev described the fund as a “beacon” for further international investment, with a goal of financing energy, infrastructure, and critical mineral projects by the end of 2026. Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko called it a step toward reconstruction and long-term economic recovery, strengthening U.S. natural resource supply chains and ensuring continued military aid.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic front remains deadlocked. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s stated readiness for peace talks, saying, “we remain open for negotiations and prefer to settle the Ukrainian crisis by political and diplomatic means.” Yet, as Western officials point out, Moscow continues to object to key proposals and negotiations remain stalled.
In the face of relentless drone warfare, shifting alliances, and the constant threat of escalation, Poland and Ukraine’s deepening partnership signals a new chapter—one defined by innovation, resilience, and a determination to adapt to the realities of modern conflict. As Europe braces for what may come next, the stakes have rarely felt higher.