Russian drone alert in Poland: F-35 saves the airspace!

Russian drone alert in Poland: F-35 saves the airspace!

On September 11, 2025, alarming incidents occurred in Poland: several Russian drones entered Polish airspace and caused great excitement. In the mission to counter this threat, the Dutch F-35 fighter jets were the only ones that were able to successfully shoot down drones. In total, three drones were neutralized, although a fourth is still being investigated, as nau.ch reports. This scenario represents a worrying milestone as it was the first incident in which Polish air defenses had to act against Russian drones.

NATO was alarmed and has already begun investigations. The Polish government also reacted to the incidents. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the events as a “large-scale provocation” by Russia and spoke of an “act of aggression” that seriously endangers Poland’s national security. “We faced a real threat scenario,” Tusk continued. The Polish Air Force neutralized more than a dozen flying objects, and the use of the air forces of the Bundeswehr and other NATO countries was also part of the defensive measures, as can be read in an article by [merkur.de](https://www.merkur.de/politik/mit-diesen- Waffen-wurden-russische-dronen-in-polen-bekaempft-bundeswehr-im-satz-zr-93926627.html).

Details of the operations and consequences

In total, 25 flying objects were registered in NATO airspace during the incidents, which penetrated not only Poland, but also Lithuanian airspace. In addition to the F-35, Polish F-16 fighter jets, various helicopters such as the MI-17, MI-24 and Black Hawk as well as an Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft were also involved. Two Bundeswehr Patriot air defense systems were used to identify the drones, but did not fire any missiles, which did not prompt NATO to activate Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, as [tagesspiegel.de](https://www.tagesspiegel.de/internationales/drohnenabschusse-in-polen-alles-deutet-darauf-hin-dass-russland-die-nato-luft Defense-testet-14305100.html) explained.

These incidents occurred during a Russian attack on Ukraine, with a drone damaging a residential building in Vyryki. Luckily there were no injuries. Tusk had already warned of the Russian attacks on Tuesday and immediately took measures to ensure the security of Polish aviation. At the same time, experts such as military expert Carlo Masala see these incidents as a test of NATO air defense by Russia, which makes the situation appear more tense than in previous years.

Outlook and diplomatic reactions

Rumors of possible further aggression on the part of Russia are high, especially in view of the upcoming military exercises as part of the Russian-Belarusian exercise “Zapad”. The Polish government has requested proceedings under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which means that Poland's security is considered at risk and consultation with all NATO partners is sought. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the incident as the “most serious violation of European airspace” since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war. The political scene is discussing whether and how the EU and NATO should respond appropriately to these provocative actions.

The situation remains tense and the eyes of the international community are focused on developments in this region. Security in the Baltic Sea region may be more at risk than ever, and the Polish Air Force has shown it is on guard. In these turbulent times, it is more important than ever that NATO remains united and ready to both identify and neutralize such threats.