On Wednesday, September 10th, following the conclusion of the North Atlantic Council meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made a statement regarding the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, expressing NATO’s unanimous support for Poland and condemning Russia’s reckless behavior.
Late Tuesday night, Russia launched drones and missiles into western Ukraine, with some drones intruding into Polish airspace. The Polish air defense forces subsequently intercepted the drones.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that a total of 19 Russian drones were detected intruding into Polish airspace that night, with 4 of them successfully shot down.
Rutte commended NATO’s air defense systems for their very successful response to the Russian drones violating Polish airspace.
The Secretary General explained that on that night, several allied countries stood in solidarity with Poland, deploying Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35 fighter jets, Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft, NATO multi-role tankers, and Germany’s Patriot missile defense systems to collectively address the threat.
In response to the Russian drones violating Polish airspace, the North Atlantic Council, the principal political decision-making body of NATO, held an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning to address Poland’s request for consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty and discuss the current situation.
Rutte emphasized, “The allies stand united in support of Poland and condemn Russia’s reckless behavior. We are still conducting a comprehensive assessment of the situation. It is clear that last night’s violations were not an isolated incident.”
He added that NATO will closely monitor the situation in the eastern flank, with the air defense systems remaining on high alert.
Rutte pointed out that this incident further highlights the importance of NATO and the consensus reached by allies at the Hague Summit this year – the need to increase defense spending, enhance defense production capabilities to ensure deterrence and defense.
He further stated that NATO will continue to support Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression, as Ukraine’s security is closely linked to NATO’s security.
“Russia is waging a dangerous aggressive war against Ukraine, continuously targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Faced with escalating actions by Russia, allies are determined to increase support for Ukraine,” Rutte said.
When asked whether Russia’s actions were deliberate aggression, invasion, or a mistake, Rutte stated that the incident is still under comprehensive assessment.
“Regardless of intent, such behavior is extremely reckless and dangerous,” he replied.
He sent a clear message to Russian President Putin, saying, “Stop the war in Ukraine, stop this escalating war. Putin is essentially targeting innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure. Stop violating allied airspace.”
Rutte vowed, “NATO is always ready, remaining vigilant at all times to defend every inch of NATO territory.”
When asked about how to deal with the relatively new threat of Russian drones, Rutte stated that NATO and allied response actions on Tuesday night were highly successful. He emphasized that NATO must always ensure it stays ahead, including maintaining a competitive advantage in airspace security.