Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, has accused Moscow of deliberately testing NATO’s resolve after a wave of Russian drones entered Polish airspace last week. Speaking in Kyiv, Sikorski said the incident appeared to be a calculated attempt by the Kremlin to escalate tensions incrementally without provoking a full-scale military response.
The minister confirmed that while the drones were capable of carrying ammunition, those that reached Polish territory were not armed. “Interestingly, they were all duds, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war,” he said.
Sikorski rejected claims that Polish air defences had been caught off guard, despite reports that only three or four of the estimated 19 drones were shot down after travelling hundreds of miles into Poland. “The drones didn’t reach their targets, and there was minor property damage; nobody was hurt. If it happened in Ukraine, by Ukrainian definitions, that would be regarded as a 100% success,” he remarked.
NATO announced on Friday that it would deploy additional fighter jets to the alliance’s eastern flank to guard against future drone incursions. The following day, Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled again in response to a renewed threat of strikes in western Ukraine. Lublin airport was temporarily closed, and residents in border areas were sent text alerts, though no breach of Polish airspace was reported.
Sikorski warned that Poland’s response would have been “much tougher” had there been casualties, but declined to specify what measures might be taken in such a scenario. “With an aggressor and a liar like Putin, only the toughest counter pressures work,” he said.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk last week described the incident as bringing Poland closer to military conflict than at any time since the Second World War. Sikorski dismissed Donald Trump’s suggestion that the breach could have been accidental, arguing that the scale of the operation made such an explanation implausible. “You can believe that one or two veer off target, but 19 mistakes in one night, over seven hours, sorry, I don’t believe it,” he said.
Poland getting trained
Polish anti-drone units are to receive training from Ukrainian operators, who Sikorski said possess superior equipment and more extensive experience in countering Russian attacks. The training will take place at a NATO facility in Poland.
Romania also reported a drone incursion into its airspace on Saturday during a Russian strike on Ukrainian infrastructure. Two F-16s were scrambled to monitor the situation.
Sikorski’s comments were made during an annual conference in Kyiv, attended by Ukrainian officials and international delegates. Donald Trump addressed the gathering via video, repeating his claim that the war would not have begun under his presidency and asserting that more progress towards peace had been made in recent months than during the previous three years.
Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said the US president was becoming “exasperated” with Vladimir Putin but warned European leaders not to push him into a position where he felt “used”.
Sikorski said he hoped Trump would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize if he could secure “a fair peace”, defined as Ukraine within defensible borders and integrated with the West, but stressed that any judgment would be based on results.
Earlier this month, 26 nations pledged in Paris to contribute to a postwar security mission for Ukraine, with some offering troops on the ground. While some European leaders have suggested “Article 5-like” guarantees for Ukraine after a peace settlement, Poland has ruled out sending forces.
Sikorski cautioned against making commitments that could not be honoured. “Security guarantees are meant to deter a potential adversary. If you want to go to war with Russia, you can do it today, and I see no volunteers. There is nothing more dangerous in international relations than giving a guarantee that is not credible,” he said.
