Poland shoots down Russian drones: Will NATO enter war in Ukraine?

Polish and NATO forces scrambled to intercept Russian drones which entered Poland’s airspace early on Tuesday night and early on Wednesday, marking their first direct military engagement with Moscow since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

Both Polish and NATO jets responded to the violation of Polish airspace, which occurred during a Russian aerial attack on Ukraine. “There was an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects,” the Polish military operational command said in a statement. “This is an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens.”

Poland temporarily shut down at least three of its airports, including Warsaw’s Chopin Airport, the country’s largest, and advised people to stay at home while the operation continues. People in risk-prone areas in eastern regions of Poland bordering Ukraine, including the capital of Warsaw, have been told to take shelter.

“There is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war… but the situation is significantly more dangerous than all previous ones,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He added that the prospect of a large military conflict is “closer than at any time since the Second World War”.

The Russian drone incursion comes just three days after Moscow hit the main government building in Ukraine’s Kyiv. That attack also damaged the European Union and British Council buildings in the Ukrainian capital.

So, is NATO now inching towards a war with Russia?