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On the night of September 10, 2025, Russia continued its demonstration of its “peace initiatives” and carried out the most massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine in the last 4 months. In the combined strike, Russian troops used 43 cruise and ballistic missiles and 415 attack UAVs. The main targets were infrastructure and civilian buildings in Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv. The shelling caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, there were deaths and injuries among the civilian population. Destruction of residential buildings, industrial facilities and social infrastructure was recorded.

During this attack, at least 19 Russian UAVs crossed the borders of Ukraine and Belarus towards Poland. Some of them flew 500 km deep into Polish territory. The attack on Poland by Russian drones showed that Russia is attacking not only Ukraine, but also NATO countries. The drone invasion once again confirmed the threat to all of Europe, which must be aware of the threat posed by the Russian Federation and be prepared for it. This is not a “mistake”, but systemic aggression. Russian drones regularly violate the airspace of other states such as Romania, Moldova, and the Baltic countries, which indicates deliberate actions by the Kremlin. This attack on a NATO country once again demonstrates that Putin is waging war against the entire civilized world.

Russian drones on NATO territory are an argument for accelerating the supply of modern air defense systems to Ukraine, as well as for maximizing Ukraine's defense capabilities. Russian aggression is already going beyond Ukraine, so a common response is a matter of survival for all of Europe. And the fact that Russian drones violated the borders of Poland on the eve of the Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2025, which will take place near the Polish-Belarusian border, indicates the Kremlin's consistent policy of "shaking up" Europe and NATO. The Russians' goal is to destroy European solidarity and provoke a split in NATO. All the talk by Russian officials about readiness for peace and commitment to diplomacy is just stalling for time. Without a tough response today, a large-scale military invasion of the Russian Federation into the Baltic states, Poland, and Finland is only a matter of time.

Russian aggression goes far beyond Ukraine, and only a united, tough response from Europe can stop the Kremlin. At the same time, Moscow does not recognize its UAV attack on Poland, simulating a “window of opportunity” for NATO and the US to improve relations, which, however, is a trap for Washington. This is about distancing the Kremlin, creating a state of uncertainty. Thus, the press secretary of the Russian President Peskov refused to comment on the incident with Russian drones that penetrated Polish airspace. He noted that this issue is within the competence of the Russian Ministry of Defense. At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the attack on Polish territory was not planned, and declared its readiness for consultations with the Polish side. Refusal to “comment” is a typical maneuver of the Kremlin, which often allows to avoid direct statements in conflict situations. Such statements formally shift responsibility, but do not solve the problem in any way. The air attack against Poland is not just a coincidence, it is an element of the "escalation for further de-escalation" strategy and a test of the West's response.

The statement that “Polish territory was not a target” looks like an attempt to reduce the degree of tension. However, the practical side of the incident has already taken place. Given that this is a clear act of aggression, there is a need for a reaction not only from Poland, but also from NATO, which must defend its members. Since the Kremlin believes that the Alliance’s policy is determined by the United States, that Poland is supposedly completely dependent on Washington in its foreign policy, it is obvious that the lack of loud statements from Moscow means an “invitation” for the United States to put the brakes on the situation. However, the lack of an adequate reaction from NATO and the United States may lead to the Alliance losing its significance, and the authority of the United States in Europe will fall sharply. Due to the new relations with the Russian Federation regarding Europe, Washington may, after a certain period of time, play only a secondary role on the European continent.

When about twenty UAVs flew into Poland, their route and purposefulness of movement clearly indicate that this cannot be either a coincidence or a consequence of the influence of Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment on their work. This is also confirmed by the fact that some of the drones flew from the territory of Belarus. A few days before that, there had already been flights and crashes of Russian UAVs. In general, during the three and a half years of the war, these cases are not isolated, there have also been falls of Russian missiles, their flights over the territory of Poland. Now, for the first time, the Polish aviation and other air defense structures not only observed the maneuvers of Russian air attack vehicles, but also actively countered them, managed to shoot down several drones, which mainly turned out to be reconnaissance.

An Alliance representative confirmed that numerous drones had indeed entered Polish airspace, and Prime Minister Tusk said that they were Russian, not any other. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that the Russian-made drones had not deviated from their course, but had been deliberately targeted. NATO Secretary General Rutte remained in touch with the Polish leadership and actively consulted on further steps. At Warsaw’s request, NATO activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty to hold urgent consultations. This will allow member states to discuss the situation with allies in the North Atlantic Council. US President Donald Trump and Polish leader Karol Nawrocki held a telephone conversation. Nawrocki noted that the conversation confirmed the unity of Poland’s allies in the context of the violation of Polish airspace.

This incident is another example of how Moscow uses hybrid methods: drones are both a military threat and an element of psychological pressure. The Kremlin has chosen a line of official neutrality, not admitting responsibility, but rejects it through the Ministry of Defense, which imitates constructiveness and readiness for dialogue. The Kremlin seeks not only to dilute NATO's combat capabilities and test its "red lines", but also to intimidate the citizens of Central European countries with the prospect of Russian strikes.

Moscow really believes that the main role in the political life of Central Europe and the foreign policy of Poland in particular, as well as in NATO, is played by the United States, so the Kremlin's refusal to support the aggression with its own information campaign is also a proposal for the United States not to support statutory actions within NATO in order to prevent escalation. The Russian Federation's hybrid approach assumes that the US refusal to support European allies, which supposedly will prevent escalation, will actually lead to a crisis of the Alliance as a security instrument, the fragmentation of Europe and the loss of US authority in Europe, which is not in Washington's interests, but is definitely Putin's goal. The response of Poland and NATO is clear: the Alliance's airspace is protected. Ukraine has also expressed its readiness to provide Poland with assistance in organizing air defense, taking into account the realities of Russian aggression. The situation that has arisen only exacerbates the debate on the need for a common European air defense system.

The incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory has become another alarming signal for the whole of Europe. Kyiv has acted as a reliable partner of Warsaw, promptly recording the facts of airspace violations and expressing its readiness to provide the Polish side with all available information for analysis. Such cooperation allows Poland to respond to new challenges in a timely manner and form its own defense system, relying on Ukrainian experience in countering massive air attacks. Kyiv has declared its readiness to help Warsaw in creating an early warning and air defense system, which will become a powerful barrier against further threats. Ukrainian experience gained in the war with Russia can become the basis for strengthening the defense potential of Poland and the entire eastern flank of NATO.

Ukraine proves that its role is not limited to protecting its own borders - it actively forms collective security in Europe. For Poland, such support means strengthening strategic stability and the feeling that it has a real partner ready to share experience and resources for the sake of common defense. The statements of the Ukrainian leadership about the readiness to support Poland also have a symbolic dimension, because they demonstrate solidarity in the fight against the aggressor. This is a signal for other partners - Ukraine not only receives assistance, but is also ready to provide it itself.