NATO condemns Russian drone incursion into Poland Pledges full defence of allied territory

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones overnight, describing it as part of Russia’s “dangerous war of aggression against Ukraine.”

“Last night, numerous drones from Russia violated Polish airspace. Our air defences were activated and successfully ensured the defence of NATO territory, as they are designed to do,” Caliber.Az quotes Rutte as saying per NATO. 

He praised the swift response of Allied forces, highlighting the involvement of “Polish F16's, Dutch F35's, Italian AWACS, NATO Multi Role Tanker Transport, and German Patriots,” and commended “the pilots and all who contributed to this quick and skilful response.”

The Secretary General noted that the North Atlantic Council met on Wednesday morning following Poland’s request for consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. “Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behaviour,” he said, adding that a full assessment of the incident is ongoing.

Rutte warned that “the violation last night is not an isolated incident,” stressing that NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander “will continue to actively manage our deterrence and defence posture along the entire eastern flank.” He reaffirmed the Alliance’s commitment to protecting every inch of Allied territory, saying, “We will closely monitor the situation along our eastern flank, our air defences continually at the ready.”

The Secretary General also called for continued investment in NATO’s capabilities, saying, “We need to invest more in our defence, ramp up defence production so we have what we need to deter and defend, and we need to continue to support Ukraine, whose security is interlinked with our own.”

Concluding his statement, Rutte emphasised NATO’s determination to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. “Russia is waging a dangerous war of aggression against Ukraine that continually targets civilians and civilian infrastructure. Allies are determined to step up their support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's escalating campaign.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev