Poland will seek to trigger Nato’s Article 4 after the military reported at least 19 incursions by Russian drones into Polish airspace in the early hours of September 10, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the parliament as the country woke up to the shock news of what looked like a Russian drone attack. 

Poland scrambled domestic and allied Dutch jets in response, reportedly shooting down an unspecified number of Russian Gerbera drones, which could have posed a threat to people or property, the defence ministry said. 

There are no reports of casualties and damage, bar the roof of a house in the village of Wyryki-Wola near the Belarusian and Ukrainian borders, pierced through by one of the drones. 

“This is more than a provocation,” Tusk told the parliament. 

“It crosses previous boundaries and is incomparably more dangerous from Poland’s point of view than earlier incidents.” 

“We have decided to trigger Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty,” Tusk said, noting this followed joint deliberations with new President Karo Nawrocki, who only took office in early August. 

Tusk said that “words of solidarity are not enough,” and Poland will press allies “from Washington onwards” for greater support, arguing that Russia’s confrontation is directed at “the entire free world”. 

Tusk linked the incursions to the imminent Russian–Belarusian Zapad 2025 military exercises near Poland and Lithuania, and said Moscow’s goal includes sowing panic and political division.

The PM called for national unity and firmer allied action to bolster air defence over Nato’s eastern flank. Poland is the only EU and Nato country bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, more details are emerging on the attack. According to the latest reports by the military, as relayed by Tusk, as many as 19 incursions into Polish airspace occurred between shortly before midnight on September 9 and 6.30am on September 10. Four airports — Warsaw Chopin, Modlin, Lublin and Rzeszów — were briefly closed to facilitate the airforce’s operation but have since reopened. 

“For the first time, a substantial number of these drones entered Poland directly from Belarus, rather than straying from Ukrainian skies,” Tusk told the parliament.

Polish and allied assets, including AWACS, F-35s and F-16s, were activated under Operation Eastern Aurora in response, Tusk also said. 

Search teams have recovered seven drones so far. Five were found in the eastern Lublin province, which borders on Ukraine and Belarus. Another was recovered in central Poland and still another in the northern Olsztyn province.

Foreign leaders and Nato officials rushed in with words of solidarity.

“Today, we have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe's airspace … Europe stands in full solidarity with Poland,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament.

“Nato, Allied Command Operations and all operational headquarters are obliged to defend every kilometre of Nato territory, including our airspace,” Colonel Martin L. O’Donnell, spokesman for Allied Command Operations, said, Polish media reported.