In western Ukraine, in an area near the border with Poland, a mysterious incident occurred on 17 September — a drone either crashed or was shot down. This was reported by Jacek Goriszewski, a spokesperson for the Polish military. The incident caused a wave of concern in neighbouring Poland, where air-raid sirens wailed in the east of the country and fighter jets were scrambled. Flights at two airports were temporarily suspended, indicating the seriousness of the situation.
Despite this, the Polish military assured the public that no violation of Polish airspace had been recorded. However, against the backdrop of these events, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued a statement saying that an attack on the western part of Ukraine, in the immediate vicinity of the Polish border, had just come to an end. According to him, the likely target was once again a petrol station, which forced the Polish armed forces to go on high alert.
Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Cezary Tomczyk, stated that Polish Air Force pilots had been ordered to shoot down any drone that dared to cross the border. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasised in a post on social media platform X that Poland is taking measures to strengthen the defence of its airspace in light of Russia’s ongoing aggressive actions.
It is worth noting that just a few days earlier, on 14 September, Prime Minister Tusk warned of a possible escalation of tensions from Moscow in the coming weeks and months. He stressed that such an escalation could also affect Polish territory, and that in such a case Warsaw, together with its NATO allies, must be prepared to respond. The Prime Minister’s remarks are causing particular concern against the backdrop of recent events.