Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said 19 Russian drones flew over Poland overnight, of which up to four were shot down – the wreckage of 16 have so far been found scattered across the Polish countryside, smashing into homes and damaging cars.

It marks the first time Russian drones have been downed over the territory of a Nato state. Russia has rejected the accusation of the drone incursion being deliberate, with its military saying “there had been no plans to target facilities on the territory of Poland”.

But Moscow has said it is ready to discuss the incident with Poland. Meanwhile, many global leaders have thrown their support behind Poland and Ukraine, and condemned Russia’s actions. 

Speaking in parliament, Tusk said drones breached Poland’s airspace 19 times, with several entering from Russia’s ally Belarus for the first time since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He told lawmakers that the unprecedented scale of the incursion prompted Poland to formally request consultations under Article 4, which allows NATO members to meet when a nation’s territorial integrity or security is at risk. 

– Nampa/Sputnik