Poland calls on NATO to invoke Article 4 after Russian drones enter airspace

WARSAW

Poland will ask NATO to invoke Article 4 after Russian drones entered its airspace, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told lawmakers Wednesday.

His remarks followed a National Security Bureau (BBN) meeting convened by President Karol Nawrocki. Tusk said the move was a joint decision with the president.

Article 4 triggers consultations among NATO members when one feels its security, territory or political independence is threatened. It allows for high-level talks on how to counter threats but does not commit the alliance to military action.

“Article 4 is just the beginning of deeper cooperation, and words are not enough. We will expect significantly greater support during the consultations. This is not our war, this is not just a war for Ukrainians, this is a war, a confrontation that Russia has declared on the entire free world,” said Tusk.

According to NATO, Article 4 has been invoked only seven times since NATO was created in 1949.

Earlier Wednesday, Tusk posted on social media that Poland’s military had shot down drones violating its airspace overnight. He said he had called an emergency Cabinet meeting and briefed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

After the 19 drones were shot down, as reported by news outlet Onet, several airports, including Warsaw and Rzeszow, were closed as a precaution. Police, border guards and firefighters were also placed on alert across eastern Poland.

"Since the violations of Poland’s airspace occurred, I have remained in constant contact with the defense minister and senior military commanders,” Nawrocki wrote on American social media platform X.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz urged calm, saying he had briefed counterparts in the UK, Germany, France and Italy, and was also in contact with defense chiefs from Finland, Sweden, the Baltic states and NATO officials.