Poland Shoots Down Russian Shahed Drones in First Airspace Engagement
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the Polish Air Force has shot down multiple Russian Shahed drones after they repeatedly violated Polish airspace during attacks targeting Ukraine. This marks the first time Poland has engaged Russian aircraft within its borders.
According to Poland’s military command on X, “At the request of the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, weapons have been used, and operations are underway to locate the downed targets.” While unofficial reports suggest at least three drones were intercepted, NATO and the Polish Ministry of Defense have not yet confirmed the exact number.
The response came amid heightened security measures. Poland temporarily closed four airports, including Warsaw’s Chopin Airport and Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, a key hub for transferring weapons and personnel to Ukraine. The military also advised residents, particularly in Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions, to remain indoors.
Early reports from the Ukrainian Air Force indicated that Russian forces launched several groups of Shahed drones around 1:13 a.m. on September 10. Shahed drones, used by both Russia and Iran, function as loitering munitions—unmanned “kamikaze” drones designed to explode on impact. Poland reportedly scrambled F-16 fighters to intercept the incoming threats, with at least some drones heading toward the city of Zamość.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin called the repeated violations a deliberate provocation. “Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations,” he wrote. “After the carnage Putin continues to inflict on Ukraine, these incursions cannot be ignored.”
The drone intercepts follow Russia’s largest assault on Ukraine since the 2022 invasion. On Sunday, over 800 drones and decoys targeted Ukrainian cities, killing four people, including a mother and infant, and damaging key buildings, including a prominent Soviet-era government office in the capital.
This escalation underscores the intensifying drone warfare threatening not only Ukraine but neighboring NATO countries, raising questions about the region’s security and the alliance’s readiness to respond to cross-border attacks.
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