NATO fired on Russian drones that veered into Polish airspace in the latest escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday.
Russian drones violated Poland’s airspace in a drone attack on Ukraine Wednesday, marking the first time a NATO ally has fired on Russian forces since the war began. The mission launched late Tuesday when the drones first appeared, and involved Polish F-16 jets, Dutch F-35s, Italian surveillance planes and NATO mid-air refueling aircraft.
“Several Allies were involved alongside Poland,” Rutte announced in a Wednesday statement. ” I commend the pilots and all who contributed to this quick and skillful response.”
The incident drew international condemnation and sparked fears that the war in Ukraine may escalate and lead to direct involvement from European NATO nations.
“Last night, numerous drones from Russia violated Polish airspace. Our air defenses were activated and successfully assured the defense of NATO territory, as they are designed to do,” Rutte said in his statement. “The North Atlantic Council met this morning and discussed the situation in light of Poland’s request for consultations under Article IV of the Washington Treaty. Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behavior.”
When asked whether NATO believes Russia’s drones were deliberately sent into Polish airspace, Rutte said the investigation is still underway.
“A full assessment is ongoing,” he said. “But of course, whether it was intentionally or not, it is absolutely reckless. It is absolutely dangerous.”
Poland invoked Article IV of the NATO charter, which launches a formal discussion into collective security threats in light of the incident. Europe and the West have so far only provided logistical support to Ukraine in the form of weapons and civilian aid.
NATO referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to Rutte’s official statement. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
