2025 Russian drone incursion into Poland
| Part of Violations of non-combatant airspaces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine | |
Visualisation of the drone incursion into Poland (drone flight paths in yellow) | |
Locations of drone hits and falls, and associated debris | |
| Date | 9–10 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time | 23:30–06:45 (CEST) |
| Duration | 7 hours 15 minutes |
| Location | Eastern, central and northern Poland |
| Type | Airspace intrusion by military drones |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Outcome |
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| Countries involved | |
On 9 September 2025, about 11:30 p.m. CEST, 19 to 23 unarmed drones entered Poland's airspace after allegedly being launched from Russia. The incursion triggered a Quick Reaction Alert; the Polish Air Force and other NATO militaries scrambled aircraft. Up to four drones were confirmed to have been shot down, most by the Dutch Air Force. Poland's prime minister Donald Tusk said that the drones "posed a direct threat". The airspace over Warsaw International Airport, Warsaw Modlin Airport, Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport, and Lublin Airport was closed while the Russian drone fleet was in Polish airspace.
Shortly thereafter, the Polish government invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty. Polish deputy prime minister Radosław Sikorski said, "We are dealing with an unprecedented case of an attack not only on the territory of Poland but also on the territory of NATO and the EU". After the incident, Russia and Belarus conducted joint military exercises, the largest since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In response to the drone incursion, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry on 12 September.