WARSAW — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed Thursday to accelerate a sweeping modernization of Poland’s armed forces, a day after Russian drones pierced the country’s airspace in what NATO officials called a deliberate provocation.
The September 10 incursion, which occurred amid a barrage of Russian strikes on Ukraine, marked the most serious breach of NATO skies since the war began. Several of the drones reportedly crossed from Belarus, where Russian and Belarusian troops are now staging joint military exercises. In response, Poland shut its border with Belarus at midnight Wednesday and imposed new airspace restrictions in its east.
Addressing troops at the Lask air base, Tusk praised Polish pilots and NATO allies, including Dutch forces, for their swift reaction to the multiple drone incursions. He said the episode underscored Poland’s urgent need for advanced capabilities.
Poland is slated to receive its first F-35 fighter jets from the United States next year, part of a $4.6 billion package signed five years ago. By 2030, Warsaw expects delivery of all 32 aircraft, which Tusk said would dramatically bolster the nation’s security and NATO’s deterrence.
“We hope the Americans will meet the deadlines,” Tusk said. “We would like the first batch of F-35s to reach you in May, so that from month to month, and year to year, we can speak of our air power with growing confidence. And that Poland is truly safe from the sky.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a social media post, reacted ambiguously to the drone breach: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” He later assured Polish President Karol Nawrocki in Washington that U.S. forces would remain firmly committed.
European leaders called the incursion a turning point. “Russia’s war is escalating, not ending,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels. “What happened in Poland is a game changer.”
Though Russian projectiles have strayed into NATO territory before, never on this scale. For Warsaw, the breach sharpened an already urgent question: how to shield the alliance’s eastern flank as Moscow tests its limits.
