Poland will shoot down objects violating its airspace, premier says

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Poland will shoot down any objects that violate Polish airspace, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday, after a spate of drones landed in the country in recent weeks.

“We will take the decision to shoot down any flying object when it violates our territory and flies over Poland – there is absolutely no discussion about it,” Tusk told a news conference in Warsaw.

Poland said Russian drones violated its airspace earlier this month, prompting NATO allies to strengthen defenses on the bloc’s eastern flank. At least three Russian drones were shot down by Polish and other NATO aircraft in Poland's airspace, according to Tusk.

Russia said the incident was not intentional. Similar accusations were later made by Romania and Estonia.

Tusk said this was the first time that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory, which "changes the political situation." He invoked NATO Article 4, which allows a member to convene a meeting of allies to consult on an issue.

“I also need to be absolutely certain ... that all allies will treat this in exactly the same way as we do,” he said.

Tusk, however, urged caution. “When dealing with situations that aren’t fully clear - such as the recent flight of Russian fighter jets over the Petrobaltic platform – but without any violation, as these aren’t our territorial waters – we really need to think twice before deciding on actions that could trigger an acute phase of conflict,” he said.