Poland Responds to Russian Drone Incursion; NATO Allies Pledge Support

WAR-REPORT : Warsaw/Seoul- Polish officials released further details on the September 9–10 Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace, confirming the discovery of 17 drones across eastern and northern Poland. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the findings as of 1900 local time on September 11, while Polish media noted that one drone crashed near a Territorial Defense Force unit in Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą, southwest of Warsaw.

A Polish defense analyst stated that at least 15 of the drones were Gerbera decoy drones, many carrying fuel tanks that extended their range to nearly 900 kilometers. In response, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency announced restrictions on air traffic in eastern Poland, along the borders with Ukraine and Belarus, until December 9.

Heightened tensions have prompted Poland to deploy about 40,000 troops to the Belarus border, coinciding with the start of the Russia–Belarus Zapad-2025 joint military exercises on September 12. Meanwhile, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds confirmed that Latvia will also close its eastern airspace with Belarus and Russia until at least September 18, following Poland’s lead.

NATO Allies Step Up Military Support

Poland’s allies swiftly condemned Russia’s actions, accusing Moscow of deliberately testing NATO’s readiness. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on September 10 that:

• Sweden has delivered emergency air defense assets and aircraft.

  

• The Netherlands will provide Patriot systems, NASAMS, and anti-drone systems.

• Czechia will deploy a helicopter unit with specially modified Mi-171 helicopters.

Several NATO members, including the Netherlands and Czechia, also summoned Russian ambassadors in protest. Bloomberg reported that NATO is preparing unspecified defensive measures alongside political responses.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Russia’s actions were a deliberate provocation, describing the incident as “part of a long series of provocations” along NATO’s eastern flank. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed on September 10 that the incursions are part of Russia’s longstanding strategy to probe NATO’s technical defenses and political resolve in preparation for a potential future conflict.

Ukraine Draws Parallels to Crimea

Ukrainian officials responded by linking the incident to Russia’s broader pattern of escalation. President Volodymyr Zelensky, meeting Finnish President Alexander Stubb on September 11, argued that Russia used the drone flights to test NATO’s capacity to respond, comparing the psychological impact to the deployment of “little green men” during the illegal seizure of Crimea in 2014.

Zelensky warned that Russia is attempting to shift the Overton Window of acceptable escalation for NATO. He reaffirmed Ukraine’s offer to help train Polish forces in counter-drone operations, noting that Ukraine has developed battle-tested tactics and technologies against Russian drone warfare. Zelensky urged NATO states to institutionalize Ukraine’s counter-drone expertise to strengthen collective defenses against potential Russian aggression.