On the night of September 9–10, 2025, Poland's airspace was violated by multiple Russian drones during a large-scale attack on Ukraine. Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that 19 drones had entered Polish territory, with at least three shot down and a fourth possibly intercepted. Some drones struck civilian buildings, including a residential building in the town of Wiryki. The incident occurred through Belarusian airspace, which necessitated the activation of emergency protocols, the declaration of an air alert, and the temporary suspension of flights at several airports.

In response to the seriousness of the situation, Poland announced that it would activate Article 4 of NATO, requesting formal consultations on threats to national security. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and leaders from the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Estonia, condemned the violation and expressed solidarity with Poland.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials said the violation was deliberate and part of Russia's efforts to escalate tensions in the region and test NATO's response. NATO confirmed that it had tracked several drones but did not need to engage them, with aircraft from several member states actively monitoring the situation. Polish leaders have requested increased support from allies, and the EU is considering sanctions, defense modernization, and the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. | BGNES