Poland invokes NATO Article 4 after Russian drones enter airspace
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Poland invokes NATO Article 4 after Russian drones allegedly enter its airspace from Belarus, as NATO allies express support and condemn Russian actions
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In this image made from video, Police and Military Police secure parts of a damaged object shot down by Polish authorities at a site in Wohyn, Poland, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 (AP)
Following the downing of multiple Russian drones that had entered its airspace by the Polish armed forces, Poland activated Article 4 of the NATO Treaty to allow for consultations with allies, a decision that was formally taken on Wednesday.
"The shooting down of drones threatening our security is a success for Polish and NATO forces, which simultaneously changes the political situation," the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated, adding, "In this regard, allied consultations have taken the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty."
The decision was made after consultations with President Karol Nawrocki.
While Poland speaks of an incursion, Belarus announced earlier today that it had shot down drones that had deviated from their course due to electronic interference during the exchange of strikes between Russia and Ukraine.
Minsk confirmed that it had informed "Poland and Lithuania of the approach of these drones to its airspace."
What is Article 4?
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty stipulates that any ally can initiate joint consultations whenever it believes a threat exists to the territorial integrity, political independence, or overall security of any party within the alliance.
In the early afternoon on Wednesday, NATO chief Mark Rutte said that during their consultations, allies had expressed solidarity with Poland while also denouncing what they characterized as Russia's "reckless behavior".
He added that a full assessment of the incident was now ongoing and that the alliance would be closely monitoring the situation along its eastern flank while keeping its air defenses continually at the ready.
"To Putin, my message is clear: stop the war in Ukraine, stop escalating the war, which is now basically mounting on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure, stop violating allied airspace and know that we stand ready, that we are vigilant and that we will defend every inch of NATO territory," Rutte noted.
With NATO assets from Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany being involved in shooting down the Russian drones, this event marks the first time that NATO aircraft have engaged potential threats in allied airspace, according to the alliance's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
In an address to the Sejm, the country's parliament, Tusk had earlier stressed that this was the first instance since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in early 2022 in which the nation's airspace was breached not as a result of navigational errors or minor aerial incidents but because the drones had allegedly flown directly from Belarusian territory.
