Poland mulls invoking NATO Article 4 after Russian drone incursions

Polish authorities are discussing the potential invocation of Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which calls for consultations with allies, following drone incursions into the country’s airspace, President Karol Nawrocki said, according to local outlet TVP Info.

“During this meeting [at the National Security Bureau], we discussed the possibility of applying Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty,” Nawrocki said.

The president did not specify whether a formal decision had been made following the discussions.

The drone incursion into Polish airspace, which began late on September 8 and continued into the early hours of September 9, 2025, marked a significant escalation in the spillover effects of Russia's war in Ukraine. During a massive Russian aerial assault on western Ukraine, multiple Russian drones—likely Iranian-made Shahed-136 (also known as Geran-2 in Russia) or Gerbera decoy variants—crossed into NATO member Poland's territory, prompting the activation of air defences.

The incursions occurred amid Russia's largest drone attack on Ukraine in months, involving over 400 drones and missiles targeting 15 regions, including areas near the Polish border. Ukrainian Air Force reports indicated that at least eight Shahed drones entered Polish airspace, posing a threat to the city of Zamość, approximately 40 miles from the border. Poland's Operational Command confirmed "repeated violations" by "drone-type objects" in eastern regions such as Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin, bordering Ukraine and Belarus. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described it as a "huge number" of drones, with radar systems tracking a dozen or so, some of which were deemed direct threats and shot down using Polish and allied air defenses.

By Khagan Isayev