In a rapidly shifting security landscape, Poland and its neighbors are racing to adapt to a new era of warfare defined by drones, uncrewed systems, and the threat of cross-border aerial incursions. The urgency was underscored in early September 2025, when a swarm of Russian drones violated Polish airspace, sparking NATO’s highest alert and exposing critical vulnerabilities in Europe’s eastern defenses, according to AP and Reuters.
On September 18, 2025, officials in Warsaw and Kyiv announced a sweeping new partnership: Poland would tap Ukraine’s hard-won expertise in drone warfare, establishing joint military training programs and manufacturing projects aimed at boosting both countries’ capabilities. The move, formalized in a memorandum signed by Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, signaled a strategic shift in how the region plans to confront the realities of modern conflict.
“We are taking our security cooperation to a new level in response to Russian terror, which threatens Ukraine and other European countries,” Shmyhal said, as reported by AP. The joint working group for uncrewed systems will focus on testing new interception methods, exchanging battlefield experience, and ensuring greater compatibility between the Ukrainian and Polish armed forces. The agreement comes just days after Russian drones forced NATO and Polish fighter jets into action, highlighting the growing importance of drone technology in the ongoing war and beyond.
The September 10 incursion—when between 19 and 23 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, according to Euronews—had immediate and wide-reaching consequences. Polish air defense systems and aviation units were put on their highest alert. Debris from the drones, including fragments of the Russian Gerbera model (designed as a decoy to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses), was found as far away as Latvia’s Varve village. Meanwhile, missile fragments, likely from weapons used to shoot down the drones, were discovered in Choiny, Poland, about 70 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. No injuries were reported, but a house in Lublin province was damaged, and a forensic investigation is ongoing.
The incident prompted NATO to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, enabling urgent consultations among allies. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the formation of the Eastern Sentry programme, designed to deter further Russian incursions and demonstrate solidarity with Poland. “We see drones violating our airspace. Whether it was intentional or not, it is unacceptable. The allies have expressed full solidarity with Poland. It is crucial to counter aggression and defend every member of the Alliance,” Rutte stated, as quoted by Euronews.
The drone incursion was not an isolated event. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski reported that on the night of September 18, there was “increased activity of Belarusian and Russian drones which tried to cross into Polish airspace.” None succeeded that night, but Poland’s border with Belarus remains closed until authorities are confident there will be no further provocations.
For Ukraine, drones have become a lifeline and a weapon of strategic significance. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, drones have transformed the battlefield, allowing Ukraine to defend against attacks and strike deep into Russian territory. On the same day as the joint announcement with Poland, Ukraine’s air defenses shot down or jammed 48 out of 75 Russian drones launched overnight, according to AP. Rail infrastructure was again targeted, part of an ongoing Russian campaign to disrupt supply lines and sow social tension—a tactic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as an effort to “create social tension.”
Ukraine’s own drone program is not merely defensive. The country has developed long-range drones and missiles capable of striking far beyond its borders. On September 18, two Ukrainian drones attacked the Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region, more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine. The strike, confirmed by Ukraine’s Security Service, ignited a large fire at the refinery’s primary oil refining unit, though no casualties were reported. The attack was part of a broader Ukrainian strategy to target Russian refineries, which are vital to the Kremlin’s war effort as Russia remains the world’s second-largest oil exporter. Sustained Ukrainian drone strikes, combined with seasonal demand, have led to fuel shortages in Russia, according to AP.
The regional response to these developments has been swift and ambitious. EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius announced plans to lead discussions on building a high-tech “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern border. This barrier would integrate sensors, jamming technology, and weapons to detect and neutralize hostile drones, drawing heavily on Ukraine’s battlefield experience. “We want really to move ahead with very, very intensive and effective preparations to start to fill this gap, which is really very dangerous for us... as quickly as we can do it,” Kubilius told Reuters. He plans to convene a video conference with defense ministers from Eastern European nations, including representatives from Ukraine, to accelerate the project.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed the urgency, announcing the EU’s intention to construct a “drone wall” on the Russian border. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina also stressed the need to protect the Baltic Sea coast by installing necessary sensors, after a Russian drone fragment was found washed up on Latvian shores.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy offered to help Poland develop an alert and air defense system, reinforcing the spirit of regional cooperation. The Polish and Ukrainian armed forces are now poised to jointly test new interception methods and share military experience, a move that could serve as a model for broader European collaboration.
The stakes are high. Russia, for its part, has over 700,000 troops on the front lines, according to President Vladimir Putin, and continues to flex its military muscle with large-scale exercises alongside Belarus. Despite months of U.S. diplomatic efforts—including a summit meeting in Alaska—the war grinds on, with little sign of resolution.
For Ukraine, the fight is existential. Zelenskyy reported that a recent counteroffensive in Donetsk had retaken around 60 square miles of territory and seven settlements, with nearly 100 Russian soldiers taken prisoner. Yet, Ukraine remains outnumbered and outgunned, relying on technological innovation and international support to level the playing field.
As drone warfare reshapes the conflict and redraws the map of European security, Poland’s partnership with Ukraine and the EU’s push for a “drone wall” represent a new chapter in the continent’s defense strategy. The lessons learned on Ukraine’s battlefields are now guiding efforts to protect the entire region from a threat that shows no signs of abating.
With alliances deepening and technology advancing at breakneck speed, the coming months will test whether Europe can close the gaps in its defenses before the next wave of drones arrives.
