UPDATE - Intel Brief: Reports of drones shot down in Polish airspace
- laure7549
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
Report date: 11/09/2025 (10:00 UTC+2)
Where: Eastern, central and northern Poland
Who’s involved: Polish Government and Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the US, Italy, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and the Royal Dutch Air Force
UPDATED INFORMATION (11/09/2025)
On 10/09/2025, Polish authorities announced airspace restrictions along their eastern border with Belarus and Ukraine, banning unauthorised civilian flights that must file a flight plan and carry an operational Mode A, C or S transponder, as well as a total ban on civilian drone flights with certain exceptions, in place until 23:59 on 09/12/2025.
Latvian authorities announced airspace closures up to an altitude of 6,000 metres within 50 km of the country’s border with Russia and Belarus, in force until 18/09/2025 and possibly subject to extension.
Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that the maximum range of the Gerbera-type drones found in Poland is 700 km, confirmed that Ukrainian arms production facilities in the west of the country were targeted that night, and said it was ready to hold consultations with its Polish counterparts if required. The presidential spokesman declined to comment, referring questions to the defence authorities, but dismissed the reports.
Belarus’ Chief of the General Staff said it had warned the Polish side about incoming drones, noting that Russian and Ukrainian drones were active in the area and that some, affected by electronic warfare measures, strayed into Belarus, where they were also brought down.
Polish authorities have also requested formal consultations with NATO partners by invoking Article 4 of the treaty, which foresees consultations amid the perception of serious threats by a member state.
Polish authorities released the names of several locations where drone wreckage was found, including Olesno, Mniszkow, Czosnowka, Wohyn, Krzywowierzba-Kolonia, Czesniki, Wyryki-Wola and Wyhalew. None of the drones were reported to have carried explosive material.
US President Donald Trump appeared to limit comments on the incident stating “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” on his Truth Social social media account, while the US ambassador to NATO affirmed the US “stands by” their NATO allies in the face of airspace violations, ready to defend the territory of the organisation.
Between 12 and 16 September, Russia and Belarus will conduct the yearly “Zapad-2025” large-scale military drills with around 13,000 participants in Barisov, central Belarus. India will also be participating this year with a contingent.
Images of drone wreckages at unspecified locations provided by Polish authorities
What happened?
On the night of 9 September, Polish authorities reported tracking more than ten unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in their airspace during a Russian strike campaign in western Ukraine. Polish F-16s were reported to have engaged the UAVs, later stated to be of Russian origin.
The Polish Operational Command announced the activation of full air defence procedures, placing allied aircraft and radar systems on their highest state of readiness to respond to airspace violations.
Polish airports such as Warsaw’s Chopin (WAW/EPWA) and Modlin (WMI/EPMO) airports, and Lublin (LUZ/EPLB) and Rzeszów (RZE/EPRZ) temporarily halted operations between the night of 9 and 10 September due to increased risks over their airspace. Operations were resumed as of 07:00 hours local time on 10 September.
At 05:40 hours local time, a drone wreckage was discovered in Cznosnowka village, 28 km west of the border with Belarus. The drone was able to be identified according to local authorities, although no country was mentioned in official notifications (source, source 2,)
At 05:48 hours, the Polish military reported that operations were underway to identify and counter UAVs of then-unknown origin.
At 07:29, the Polish authorities reported an “unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drones” and confirmed that only those deemed a threat had been downed. The origin of the drones was not specified, but the command stated that operations were conducted with allied forces.
As of 09:42 hours, all operations related to airspace violations had ended, with searches continuing to locate and identify the UAVs. Ground radar and air defence systems had reverted to standard operational status.
Reports of another drone wreckage found in Wyryki, slightly damaging a roof.
No deaths, injuries or significant damage to infrastructure were reported as a result of the UAV downings at the time of writing.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an emergency government meeting to discuss the developments as of 08:00 hours on 10 September, subsequently stating that the origin of the UAVs was Russian.
At the time of writing, Russian authorities had not yet released any statements on the incident, but did report heavy targeting of Ukrainian logistical hubs in the Odessa area, further away from Poland.
Image of the damaged damage in Wyryki as a result of a drone downing
Analysis
The incident appears to mark the first time that Russian UAVs have been downed over NATO territory, representing a notable escalation in the conflict’s spillover risks. Polish authorities reported tracking over ten drones during Russian airstrikes in Ukraine, with air defence procedures fully activated and allied forces, such as F-35s from the Royal Dutch Air Force, involved in countering the threats. The closure of Poland’s biggest airport in Warsaw (WAW/EPWA), as well as several other smaller ones, highlights the seriousness of the situation.
An F-35 from the Royal Netherlands Air Force similar to the ones involved in the incident
Debris from the downed drones was later recovered in Czosnowka and Wyrywki. Although Polish authorities did not initially announce the origin of the aircraft, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated they were of Russian origin after an emergency meeting held with the security ministries of the country on the morning of 10 September. The event echoes earlier incidents such as a presumed Iranian-designed Shahed drone entering Polish airspace in 2024, a Russian missile briefly crossing into Polish airspace in 2023 and a missile linked to Ukrainian air defences crashing in Polish territory in 2022. Prime Minister Tusk described the incident as an act of aggression. If Russia’s responsibility is taken as definitive, the incident may represent a premeditated test of NATO’s resolve and US willingness to respond to repeated violations of allied airspace.
Looking ahead
The downing of Russian drones over Poland may or may not prove to be a turning point in how NATO addresses the spillover of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Similar incidents have occurred before without significantly altering the alliance’s involvement and support for Ukraine, and with the new administration in Washington seemingly focused on de-escalating rather than expanding the conflict, this incident may be downplayed. Although the incident prompted heightened readiness from the Polish military, the temporary suspension of civilian aviation at some airports, the intrusion did not involve a ground incursion, resulted in no casualties and was carried out with relatively small, low-cost UAVs with limited capabilities. Consequently, the operational risk calculus for NATO may continue unaltered. Nonetheless, repeated violations could create a precedent whereby allied airspace is challenged without reciprocal escalation, eroding deterrence capabilities and forcing NATO to eventually clarify a threshold for defensive action along its eastern flank.