Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has committed to a sweeping military upgrade program following the downing of suspected Russian drones that violated the country's airspace during a Russian assault on Ukraine, marking the first instance of NATO forces firing on such targets in alliance territory.

The incursions occurred early Wednesday, September 10, 2025, amid a massive Russian drone and missile barrage on Ukraine that involved up to 415 projectiles. Polish officials reported at least 19 drones entered from the east, some via Belarus, prompting a rapid response from Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft, and NATO refueling planes.

At least three drones were shot down, with debris damaging a residential building in Wyryki near the Ukrainian and Belarusian borders, though no casualties were reported.

The Polish military labeled the event an "act of aggression" and "unprecedented provocation," invoking NATO's Article 4 for urgent consultations among the 32 members. Tusk, addressing troops at the Lask airbase on Wednesday, described the episode as the closest Poland has come to open conflict since World War II but stressed there was no immediate brink of war. He praised the coordinated NATO action and announced plans for a "great modernisation programme" to enhance air defenses, including advanced systems to counter drone threats.

On Thursday, Tusk confirmed air traffic restrictions along Poland's eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine until December 9, banning civilian drones and limiting general aviation to daytime operations with required equipment, at the army's request for security reasons.

Poland also closed its Belarus border at midnight Thursday ahead of joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2025 exercises starting Friday, which involve up to 20,000 troops and have heightened regional alarms. European leaders echoed concerns over escalation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, briefing alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Kyiv on Thursday, called the breach a "dangerous precedent" likely intended to deter air defense supplies to Ukraine before winter.

Zelenskyy urged allies to allow intercepts over Ukrainian airspace near NATO borders and rethink costly missile defenses against cheap drones, offering Polish forces Ukrainian expertise in countermeasures. Stubb accused Hungary and Slovakia of fueling Russia's "war machine" by purchasing its oil and gas, aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for Europe to cut energy ties with Moscow; he noted informing Trump of the specific enablers.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico have faced EU criticism for opposing aid to Ukraine and seeking warmer Russian relations. The Dutch Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador Thursday over the incident, while Polish President Karol Nawrocki visited the Poznan-Krzesiny base, declaring Poland "doesn't get scared by Russian drones" and convening the national security council.

The Kremlin, via spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, denied intent and dismissed Warsaw's rhetoric as routine European posturing, reiterating Russia's openness to dialogue. Russia's Defense Ministry insisted no targeting of Poland occurred. At Ukraine's request, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency session Friday on the incursion.

Ukrainian forces reported intercepting 62 of 66 Russian drones overnight, though strikes damaged infrastructure in Sumy, including schools, apartments, and a cathedral. This marks the largest known airspace violation in NATO since Russia's 2022 invasion, following smaller incidents in Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.