NATO has been warned that Vladimir Putin could strike, London, Paris or Berlin next after a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace. Some of the devices travelled hundreds of miles into NATO territory, but were not loaded with explosives. Polish foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, suggested that this means Russia tried to test Europe without starting a war. Now, Ukraine’s UN envoy, Andriy Melnyk, has suggested that Putin’s next target could be a major western European city, or even the US.
“If this escalation remains without a decisive response, Russia will not stop at Poland,” he said earlier this week. “Tomorrow it could be drones or even missiles that fall on Berlin, Paris or London. And the next day something could even ‘accidentally’ fly across the Atlantic.” The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that Melnyk also stated that “Ukraine shares Poland’s view that the Russian drone incursion was not a technical error, but rather a deliberate act aimed at escalating tensions and testing the international community’s response to ongoing Russian aggression”.
The envoy also “warned leaders that Russia may continue to escalate if the international community fails to respond decisively”.
Melnyk said Russia shows contempt for the UN Security Council and “spits in our face”.
He added: “If this Council does not act, if it cannot stop this new phase of escalation, we will not be talking about regional instability.
“We are staring into the abyss of World War III.”
The ISW added that US Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Dorothy Shea, reiterated that the US remains committed to defending “every inch of NATO”, and noted that Russia’s incursion undermines the ongoing US efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Experts wrote in their daily report on the conflict in Ukraine: “ISW has also observed a marked intensification in Russia’s long-range strikes against Ukraine since mid-August 2025.
“Shea conveyed that the United States is urging Russia to negotiate directly with Ukraine to demonstrate its seriousness in seeking an immediate end to hostilities and to prevent Russia’s war from expanding.”
Earlier this week, France said it is deploying fighter jets to Poland in a signal to Moscow that any further aggression will not go unchecked.
President Emmanuel Macron said the three advanced Rafale fighter jets would help protect Poland’s airspace and Nato’s eastern flank to fulfil a commitment he made to Polish prime minister Donald Tusk.
He added the deployment was discussed with both Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.