Russian drones violate Polish airspace in ‘direct threat’
An F-16C fighter aircraft performs during the Antidotum airshow in Leszno, Greater Poland region, on June 22, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)
Poland and its NATO allies shot down Russian drones that violated Polishairspace early on Wednesday, amidst extensive Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed numerous Russian drones entered Polish airspace, with those posing a direct threat being neutralised by Polish and NATO air defences, including F-35 fighter jets.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that early indications suggest the airspace violation was intentional, not accidental, expressing solidarity with Poland and urging increased pressure on Moscow.
The incident occurred during a massive wave of Russian aerial assaults across central and western Ukraine, causing injuries and significant damage to civilian and industrial infrastructure.
This violation marks another instance of Russian objects entering Polish airspace, following previous incidents, and comes ahead of joint Russian-Belarusian military drills that have raised concerns in the region.
