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Just one week after President Donald Trump met with Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the White House Russia fired some two dozen drones into the NATO nation on Wednesday.
The assault prompted NATO allies to militarily respond to the apparent Russian attack, and for the first time brought Poland to the closest it has been to open conflict since World War II.
NATO WARNS RUSSIA AFTER POLAND SHOOTS DOWN ‘HUGE NUMBER’ OF DRONES THAT VIOLATED ITS AIRSPACE
The Kremlin on Wednesday claimed there is “no evidence” that the drones were of “Russian origin” after Andrei Ordash, Moscow’s chief diplomat in Poland who was summoned by Warsaw, told Russian state-owned media outlet RIA, “We see the accusations as groundless.”
“We know one thing – these drones were flying from the direction of Ukraine,” he added, according to a translation by a DW report.
Ordash’s comments contradicted assessments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said that “at least two Russian drones that entered Polish territory during the night used Belarusian airspace.
“In total, at least several dozen Russian drones were moving along the Ukraine-Belarus border and in the western regions of Ukraine, approaching targets in Ukraine and, apparently, Poland,” he added.
Neither NATO, the White House nor Poland’s defense ministry immediately responded to questions by Fox News Digital on whether drones that reportedly entered Polish airspace did so intentionally.
However, a White House official told Fox News Digital that “President Trump and the White House are tracking the reports out of Poland, and there are plans for President Trump to speak with the President Nawrocki today.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament on Wednesday that at least 19 Russian drones entered Poland’s airspace and eight crash sites were confirmed where they appear to have been shot down by NATO forces, though information on the exact figures is still being collected, reported the Associated Press.
POLAND SHOOTS DOWN DRONES IN ITS AIRSPACE DURING RUSSIAN ATTACK ON NEIGHBORING UKRAINE
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a statement on Wednesday that “A full assessment of the incident is ongoing.”
“What is clear is that the violation last night is not an isolated incident,” he added in reference to similar situations in which Russian drones have increasingly crossed NATO borders in recent months.
Tusk called the incident “a large-scale provocation” and said “the situation is serious, and no-one doubts that we must prepare for various scenarios.”
Rutte said NATO leaders held a meeting this morning after Poland enacted Article 4, which triggers urgent talks “whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”
Rutte confirmed that the overnight drone attack not only scrambled Polish warplanes, but also Dutch F-35s, Italian Airborne Warning and Control Systems, NATO Multi Role Tanker Transport system for air-to-air refueling, and German Patriots were “activated” and “successfully ensured the defense of NATO territory.”
“This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace,” spokesperson for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, U.S. Army Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, said Wednesday. “NATO, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and all of Allied Command Operations is committed to defending every kilometre of NATO territory, including our airspace.”
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