The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) planes shot down multiple Russian drones that breached the Polish airspace on Wednesday, increasing the heat amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine since 2022. The incident marked the first such intrusion into Nato territory by a Russian unmanned aircraft.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a parliamentary statement, “There is no reason to claim that we are currently at war. However, there is no doubt that this provocation exceeds previous limits and is incomparably more dangerous for Poland than all previous ones.”
However, the Russian defence ministry mentioned in a statement that its drones had carried out a major attack on Ukraine and did not plan to hit any targets in Poland. The defence ministry statement further mentioned holding consultations with its Polish counterparts on this subject.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the drone incursion into Polish airspace as “dangerous, reckless, and unprecedented”.
Tusk described the incident as a "large-scale provocation", and called for consultation with Nato members, invoking Article 4 of the founding treaty for the first time since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.
He mentioned that the Polish military recorded 19 drone incursions over its airspace and shot down those posing a threat.
According to the Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration, the authorities have found 16 drone wreckage across the country in 13 separate locations. The administration is exploring more locations as well.
Under Article 4, Nato members can bring any issue of concern, especially related to the security of a member country, to the table for discussion within the North Atlantic Council (NAC). Since the alliance's creation in 1949, Article 4 had been invoked eight times.
Once Article 4 is invoked, NAC would discuss the threat raised by the member state. While the article does not mandate any action by the members, it pushes for a coordinated political or military response.
The member countries are expected to engage seriously in the consultations, which can lead to joint decisions ranging from public statements to deterrence measures.
While Article 4 does not call for an attack, Article 5 binds the member states for “collective defence” against an attack on a Nato member, or a partner of the grouping. It mentions that any armed attack on a Nato member is to be treated as an armed attack against all member states, and the alliance will take actions to assist the member attacked.
What could happen next?
Warsaw will make its case before all Nato members, get across its concerns and the level of threat from Russia it perceives.
Russia may have used the Polish airspace to bypass Ukrainian air defences en route to targets in Ukraine in the recent drone incursion.
In other such instances, such violations appear aimed at intimidating smaller Nato members or testing allied response capabilities.
By formally raising the issue at Nato’s highest political forum, Warsaw is likely seeking firm political backing and coordinated deterrence measures.
 "Poland invokes Article 4 over multiple airspace violations by Russia")
