Poland demands UN Security Council take 'critical preventive measures' against Russia after drone incursions

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Poland urged the UN Security Council on Friday to issue a strong response to Russia after drones violated its airspace, demanding it as "critical preventive measures."

"We know that it was not a mistake," Poland's Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki told the Council about Russia's drone incursions, rejecting the verbiage of Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia as "near Orwellian language … combined with blatant lies."

"Drones are instruments of terror that have shattered homes and communities across Ukraine. Two days ago, they tried to target Polish homes," said Bosacki.

Calling on the Council "to respond to Russian criminal actions with a unified, unequivocal and immediate condemnation, a condemnation that should serve as a critical preventive measure to de-escalate the situation and deter further acts of this kind," he demanded Russia take "full responsibility."

"As for Russia, we expect to take full responsibility for this unjustified act, to fully explain the reasons for the intrusion, and to take all necessary measures so such incidents will not repeat in the future," he said.

Stressing that "the way to achieve stability and peace in the region is simple," he called on Russia to end its "war against Ukraine."

"Poland will not be intimidated. Our resolve to stand with Ukraine and defend the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity remains unwavering," he said.

Ukraine's UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, told the Council that "peace has not come galloping toward us on a white horse."

"On the contrary, we are further away from peace than we have ever been," he said.

He echoed Bosacki and said: "We fully share the assessment of Polish authorities that this was not a technical error."

"It was not a lost GPS signal or any other fairy tales that we have heard," he added.

Melnyk argued that Russia's drone incursions into Ukraine and Poland are "not just mocking this Council, it is spitting in your face, and yet we politely pretend that it is only raining."

Calling on the Council to act to end the war in Ukraine, he warned that "we are staring into the abyss of a Third World War."