Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Russia’s “reckless” behaviour and called it “deeply concerning” after Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Polish leaders said multiple Russian drones entered and were shot down over its territory with help from Nato allies – describing the incident as an “act of aggression” carried out during a wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine.
As tensions rose today, several European leaders said they believe Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is intentionally escalating the war in Ukraine, and Nato is discussing the incident in a meeting. Defence Secretary John Healey is meeting a number of defence ministers from other countries, including Poland, in London today.
Sir Keir also hit out at a massive Russian attack on Ukraine. He said: “This morning’s barbaric attack on Ukraine and the egregious and unprecedented violation of Polish and NATO airspace by Russian drones is deeply concerning. This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day.”
Sir Keir said: “I have been in touch with the Polish Prime Minister this morning to make clear our support for Poland, and that we will stand firm in our support for Ukraine.
“My sincere thanks go to the NATO and Polish forces who rapidly responded to protect the Alliance.
“With our partners – and through our leadership of the Coalition of the Willing – we will continue to ramp up the pressure on Putin until there is a just and lasting peace.”
The incident in Poland came three days after Russia’s largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the war began, an assault that hit a key government building in Kyiv for the first time.
Ireland also warned that Russia’s actions had made the world more dangerous. Russia’s incursion into Polish airspace “has to be a wake up call for the West”, Ireland’s deputy premier has said.
Tanaiste Simon Harris called on US President Donald Trump to join EU efforts in sanctioning Russia saying they would be much more effective with American involvement.
“We’ve heard President Trump talk many times about considering sanctions and thinking about sanctions. In our view, the time for thinking about them is over.”
Mr Harris said Europe is preparing more sanctions against Moscow, but expressed concern at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s escalating “campaign of terror”, particularly after last month’s summit between the US and Russian leaders in Alaska.
“While the world talks about peace, talks about de-escalation, talks about finding an end to the Russian aggression in Ukraine – President Putin continues his campaign of terror against the civilian population in Ukraine, and last night, escalated that further by the launching of many drones into Poland.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said there was a need for urgent work on a “new solution to finance Ukraine’s war effort”.
Meanwhile, Polish officials said a “huge number” of Russian drones had violated its airspace overnight.
In her State of the Union address, Ms von der Leyen described the development as a “reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s airspace”, adding that there was a need for “more sanctions” on Russia.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Russia’s war is escalating, not ending.
“Last night in Poland we saw the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental.”
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media that Polish airspace was violated by multiple Russian drones, saying: “Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.”
Defence minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X that more than 10 objects crossed into Polish air space, but did not specify an exact number.
He thanked Nato Air Command and The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force for supporting the action with F-35 fighter jets.
Polish airspace has been violated multiple times since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but there has been nothing on this scale either in Poland or in any other Western nation along the eastern flank of Nato and the European Union.
Leaders in the strategically located Baltic states of Lithuanian, Latvia and Estonia – Nato members who are nervous about Russian aggression – expressed deep concerns.
“Russia is deliberately expanding its aggression, posing an ever-growing threat to Europe,” Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda wrote on X.
Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said that the overnight attacks on Ukraine and violations of Polish airspace were “yet another stark reminder that Russia is not just a threat to Ukraine, but to all of Europe and Nato”.