Russia deliberately violated NATO member Poland’s airspace this month to test the alliance’s response and to exert pressure on the West, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said on Friday.
Commenting on the incident involving around twenty Russian drones breaching Poland’s airspace on August 9-10, the agency told Reuters that “Such hybrid operations likely aim to increase pressure on Ukraine’s western partners, potentially leading to: reduced support for Ukraine, especially military aid.” Ukraine employs jamming and electronic systems to disrupt and redirect incoming Russian drones and missiles, but the Ukrainian intelligence agency stated that it had ruled this out as the cause.
The agency sent the letter to Reuters are Polish and NATO fighters jets downed multiple drones over Poland. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the breach was deliberate and aimed at testing NATO’s preparedness and resolve. Russia denied the drones were sent deliberately, describing the incident as a mistake. In response to the violation of its airspace, Poland invoked Nato’s Article 4, triggering the emergency meeting to discuss the most serious breach of its border since Russia’s full-fledged invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. Days later, another NATO member Romania also reported that Russian drones entered its airspace. The Kremlin did not respond to Bucharest’s accusations. In the same week, three Russian fighter jets crossed into Estonia and remained there for 12 minutes before being cleared by NATO fighter jets scrambled over the country. Tallin called emergency UN General Assembly meeting over the incident – for the first time in its 34-year membership of the organization.
Sighting of drones over Denmark and Norway this week further challenged the security of NATO’s eastern flank and pushed the EU to introduce a “drone wall” after a security meeting with ministers from 10 mostly central and eastern European member states plus Ukraine, and EU’s defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius.
Earlier on Friday, the Kremlin said the talks to shoot down Russian planes over Europe was “reckless” and served to escalate tension near Russia’s border. The idea to down Russian drones over NATO’s airspace was also floated by US President Donald Trump this week.
