ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s drones entering Poland’s airspace were a deliberate act, comparing it to the tactics used during the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Speaking to journalists in Kyiv, Zelenskyy stressed that the incident in Poland was “not an accident” but a “rehearsal,” mentioning the unmarked vehicles and soldiers Russia used in its illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

“Today, the same role is being played by Russian drones crossing borders. The rhetoric is the same, the danger is the same,” he said.

Zelenskyy underlined that costly systems such as the Patriot and SAMP/T are not a sustainable solution against cheap Iranian-made Shahed drones.

“A single Patriot interceptor costs $2-3 million, while a drone costs up to $100,000. When Russia launches 500-800 drones a day, using such missiles against them is simply not a solution,” he said, calling for a layered, cost-effective approach.

He said Ukraine has built a unique air defense combining mobile fire groups, interceptor drones, aviation, helicopters, and electronic warfare, adding: “We are ready to share this experience with our Polish and other European partners. This must be a joint effort, so that every nation can protect its people.”

The Ukrainian president also noted that during the upcoming UN General Assembly high-level week, Kyiv will host two major events: the International Crimea Platform summit at the level of leaders, and together with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, a high-level meeting on children abducted by Russia.

Russia has recently intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, while incidents involving drones crossing into NATO members’ airspace have raised concerns of further escalation.