11 September 2025 , 16:31
747
0
Reports suggest the Russian drones shot down over Poland yesterday were believed to have been aimed at a NATO base.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, forces from the alliance were dispatched to respond to several drones that had crossed the border from Belarus.
This marked the first time since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that NATO had directly engaged with Russian assets.
German newspaper Die Welt reported that five of the drones were on a direct path towards a NATO base, citing ’preliminary Polish investigations’ discussed at an internal NATO briefing yesterday evening.
The newspaper stated the Polish base in question was involved in providing military supplies to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian invaders.
Top figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, claimed on Wednesday that the flights were a ’test’ by the Kremlin to see how NATO would respond.
If the reported findings of the investigations prove correct, questions may arise over whether they were in fact a deliberate attack on NATO by Russia.
Die Welt cited a high-ranking NATO officer saying: ’Based on current information, we assume that the drones most likely intentionally entered NATO airspace.’
The incident on Wednesday morning led Poland to invoke Article 4 of NATO, prompting immediate discussions over potential responses between members of the alliance.
A UK government spokesperson confirmed there was British representation at the discussions yesterday morning.
It is understood the UK did not participate directly in the response to the incursion, with forces from the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy being deployed instead.
New Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a social media post on Wednesday that the drones represented the ’latest clear examples of Putin’s recklessness and disregard for life and peace’.
She added: ’We stand in solidarity with Poland and Ukraine in the face of Russia’s egregious actions.’
Head of Investigations