Poland urged the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting after 19 Russian drones entered its airspace PC: Reuters
Poland has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting following the invasion of its airspace by 19 Russian drones in the early hours of Wednesday. Polish and NATO forces destroyed some of the drones. The session is likely to take place on Friday, a European diplomat said, although the UN has not confirmed.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called the drone attack 'unprecedented', with emphasis that it was on a NATO and EU member. The intrusion is the first time NATO has shot at Russian property since Russia's all-out assault in Ukraine.
Warsaw has called for further air defense assistance from NATO allies and activated Article 4, a procedure to harmonize a coordinated reaction among the 32 alliance members.
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to the operation as a 'large-scale provocation', saying it left Poland "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War two.
The UK, France, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands have offered "concrete support for the air defence of our country," Tusk further stated. Some of the drones allegedly came from Belarus. There were no reported casualties.
EU allies criticized the incursion, which they accuse Russia of ramping up tensions rather than seeking peace in Ukraine. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called it "a deliberate attack" by Moscow.
US President Donald Trump, however, responded sensibly, commenting on Truth Social: "What's Russia's game with violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go!"
ALSO READ: Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones: Will NATO Be Forced Into the Ukraine War?
Polish President Karol Nawrocki described how he and Trump 'reaffirmed allied solidarity' during a telephone conversation, though no further military assistance was indicated.
Sikorski appealed to Trump to stand firmer, expecting Russian President Vladimir Putin to be "scoffing at President Trump's peace efforts."
