Polish government called the violation of their airspace after drones cross the border and be overthrown; device has been triggered for the seventh time since the creation of the covenant in 1949
Poland called on Wednesday (10) Article 4 of the NATO Treaty (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) after registering at least 19 violations of its Airspace for Russia-linked drones during attacks on Ukrainian territory. The device provides for consultations between the 32 alliance countries whenever a member feels threatened but does not authorize immediate military response. It was the seventh time that the article has been invoked since the NATO’s creation in 1949. In 2022, Warsaw had also resorted to the device after a missile reached Poland and kills two people, in an episode initially attributed to Moscow.
This time, NATO fighters-including F-16 Polish and F-35 Dutch-were called and overthrew drones that crossed the border. Four airports, including Warsaw, were even closed for security. Despite the action, there were no serious victims, but houses and structures were damaged by wreckage. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk classified the episode as “a large-scale provocation” and said the country “has never been so close to an armed conflict since World War II.” He added that Warsaw is prepared for “various scenarios” if there are new violations.
European leaders condemned the incident. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the violation of “unprecedented” and promised to defend “every square centimeter” of the territory of the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron said the case is “simply unacceptable,” while British premie, Keir Stmerer, classified the action as “extremely inconsequential.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that “intentional or not,” the episode was “irresponsible and dangerous” and charged that Moscow stops challenging the alliance’s airspace. Russia denied responsibility and claimed that its attacks targeted only military targets in Ukraine. Kremlin said the drones would not have reach to arrive in Poland and accused Warsaw of presenting “unfounded allegations.”
If allies conclude that there was a deliberate attack, the episode may scale to article 5 of the treaty, which provides for collective defense and authorizes joint military response. This step, however, was not discussed at the emergency meeting this Wednesday.
Posted by Felipe Dantas
*Report produced with the aid of AI
