In a dramatic escalation of tensions along NATO’s eastern flank, multiple Russian drones violated Polish airspace on September 11, 2025, striking the village of Wyryki near Lublin and sending shockwaves through European capitals. The incident, which unfolded as part of a larger Russian assault on neighboring Ukraine, has forced NATO leaders to confront the growing threat posed by Moscow’s increasingly audacious tactics—and to question whether the alliance is truly prepared for the evolving nature of modern warfare.
European leaders wasted little time expressing alarm over what many described as a deliberate provocation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, after urgent talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stated that it was “clear that Russia was continuing to ramp up its aggression, systematically stepping up its attacks through a campaign of increasingly belligerent actions,” according to the Associated Press. The German government, in response, announced plans to extend and expand air policing over Poland, underscoring the seriousness with which the incursion is being treated.
For NATO, the violation of Polish airspace marks a sobering first: never before has such a large-scale drone incursion occurred within the alliance’s territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme commander in Europe, admitted that the alliance was still uncertain about the number of drones that entered Polish territory or whether they were fired intentionally. “But we will learn lessons. We will learn of things that we need to enhance our posture, to handle these limited incursions,” Grynkewich told reporters in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania issued a joint statement denouncing the incident as “a deliberate and coordinated strike constituting an unprecedented provocation and escalation of tension.” Their concerns were echoed by Finnish President Alexsander Stubb, who, after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, remarked that “the line between war and peace has been blurred” and described the drone attack as another milestone in Russia’s campaign of aggression.
Poland, for its part, struck a defiant tone in the face of the incursion. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, addressing troops at an air base in Lask, praised the quick response of Polish and NATO forces—including Dutch F-35s stationed in the country—and pledged to push ahead with a sweeping military modernization program. “We will also coordinate with all NATO member states,” Tusk said, referencing ongoing discussions about joint air defense measures. He announced that Poland expects to receive its first F-35 fighter jets from the United States next year, the initial delivery in a fleet of 32 aircraft set to arrive by 2030.
President Karol Nawrocki, visiting a military air base in Poznan-Krzesiny, was equally resolute. “Poland doesn’t get scared by Russian drones,” he declared, describing the incursion as “an attempt to test our abilities, the ability to react.” In a further show of resolve, the Polish Air Navigation Agency introduced air traffic restrictions in the eastern part of the country for national security reasons, and Poland prepared to close its border with Belarus at midnight. Some of the drones that entered Polish airspace reportedly originated from Belarus, where Russian and local troops were gathering for war games scheduled to begin on September 12.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, denied any intention to target Poland and signaled a willingness to discuss the incident with Polish officials. Russia’s Defense Ministry insisted that its forces had not aimed at Poland, a claim met with skepticism in European capitals. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for September 12 at Poland’s request to address the drone incursion, highlighting the international ramifications of the event.
The repercussions of the incident extend far beyond Poland’s borders. China, for instance, urged Poland to keep open a section of the Belarus border used by a China-EU freight rail line, part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The European Council on Foreign Relations, in an analysis published the day after the attack, argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing Europe’s resolve at a time when the United States is demanding that its allies shoulder more of the financial burden of defense. “Inconsistency between words and deeds seem to have eroded Europe’s credibility in Russia’s eyes,” the think tank concluded.
On the ground, the incident has reignited debate over how best to defend against the new generation of cheap, mass-produced drones that Russia now deploys in swarms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at a press conference in Finland, warned that NATO is not adequately prepared to counter Russia’s drone onslaught. He criticized the use of expensive air defense munitions—such as Patriot missiles, which cost $2 to $3 million each—against drones that can cost as little as $100,000. “A Patriot costs 2 to 3 million, while a drone, a Shahed or Geran, and so on, costs up to $100,000. That is, you do not fight one with the other,” Zelenskyy said. He added, “Of course, one must do everything so that one’s people are safe. But in the general sense, in the understanding of how to fight, that is not the way.”
Footage from Poland showed NATO aircraft firing expensive missiles, including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (about $1.2 million apiece) and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles ($400,000 each), to intercept the drones. Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine’s “multisystem” approach—which combines vehicle-mounted machine guns, electronic warfare, interceptor drones, and helicopters—is far more effective and cost-efficient. “Only we have it, and the Russians have it,” he said, urging NATO states to adopt similar tactics.
Ukraine, which has endured daily drone attacks involving up to 800 Shahed drones at a time, now reserves its most advanced air defense munitions for ballistic and cruise missile threats. The Ukrainian air force reported intercepting 62 out of 66 Russian strike and decoy drones overnight before September 11, a testament to the effectiveness of such layered defenses. In a bid to bolster its capabilities further, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and his British counterpart John Healey signed an agreement for the UK to produce Ukrainian interceptor drones.
In the wake of the Polish incursion, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had offered assistance and training to Poland and other NATO states. He also revealed ongoing talks with leaders from Poland, the UK, Italy, and NATO officials about forming a joint air defense system. The incident prompted Poland to invoke Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, allowing member states to consult on urgent defense measures and potentially receive reinforcements. NATO confirmed that Article 4 has now been invoked eight times since the alliance’s founding.
As NATO leaders scramble to adapt to the rapidly changing face of warfare, the message from Warsaw, Kyiv, and beyond is clear: the threat is real, the stakes are high, and the old playbook may no longer suffice. The events in Poland have forced a reckoning—not just about military preparedness, but about the very future of security in Europe.
