"Russia is trying to check where the red lines of NATO pass"

What world media write and Western politicians say in response to the invasion of Russian drones to Poland

The unprecedented invasion of Poland is dozens of Russian drones, some of which were shot down over its territory, most likely, was not accidental, Western politicians and experts note. In their opinion, the Kremlin purposefully checks for NATO strength, its air defense system and the readiness of the West for escalation.

Poland turned out to be closest to an open conflict since the Second World War, the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted. Journalists see in the incident an attempt by Moscow to find the “red lines” of the alliance and the proof that the threat from Russia for Europe has become more tangible than ever.

On the morning of September 10, the Polish army reported an “unprecedented” violation of airspace by Russian drones. The military called the incident "an act of aggression, which poses a real threat to the security of citizens." According to various sources ( air force forces , reuters sources, dusk , local media ), from eight to 23 UAVs invaded the airspace of Poland. The army raised the fighters by alarm, and some of the Russian drones were shot down.

The wreckage of one of the drones fell on a residential building in the village of Vyryki of the Lublin Voivodeship, also fragments were found in the village of Chosnuvka, according to the Polish radio RMF24. Tusk noted that the drones were Russian, and called the incident a provocation from Russia.

At the day of NATO at the request of Poland activated the fourth article of the charter. It provides that the member states of the alliance will consult with each other if, in their opinion, territorial integrity, political independence or security will be at risk.

Wyborcza: "This is not the end of Russian provocations"

The journalist of the Polish newspaper Wyborcza Bartosh Velinsky notes : the good news is that Poland has already taken measures and was able to protect itself; Bad is that this is not the end of Russian provocations.

“There were unprecedented events. For the first time in history, Russia entered into confrontation with NATO over European territory. For the first time, we witnessed the massive invasion of Russian drones into the airspace of NATO.

And for the first time, the NATO Air Force responded to this provocation by fire. The escalation from Russia, despite the fact that we are still in the phase of the hybrid war, became a fact. This is a historical moment, and from today our life will undoubtedly begin to change rapidly. The Russian threat, real for many years, has become tangible, ”he said.

Russia “humiliated Trump” for months, portraying the readiness to negotiate about the ceasefire in Ukraine, while in fact it bombed Ukraine every day more intensively, Velisky emphasizes. Trump, however, ignored the diplomatic humiliations and calls of European allies to stop flirting with Russia and finally support the Ukrainians fighting it.

“The fact that Russia decided to check NATO in this situation is absolutely not surprising.

We must show Russia that we will not tolerate such provocations. Along with a demonstration of unity in Poland and Europe, a demonstration of power is necessary "

- said the journalist.

Politico: "Putin is experiencing NATO, attacking Poland with the help of drones"

The invading invalid looks like a escalation from Vladimir Putin aimed at checking NATO defense capabilities, Politico writes .

According to the journalists of the publication, the invasion of the airspace of Poland is a serious escalation compared to the August incident, when a single drone fell a hundred kilometers from Warsaw. Then European leaders immediately accused Putin of a deliberate attempt to experience NATO strength. But there were no serious consequences for Moscow.

The "new provocation of the Kremlin" takes place at an extremely sensitive diplomatic moment,

They emphasize in Politico: “While US President Donald Trump evaluates the real prospects of a peace agreement with Putin, the latter continues to insist that it strikes only military purposes in Ukraine, increasing deadly airstrikes.”

The guardian: "It is unlikely that it was an accident"

Poland successfully intercepted the drones, “showed a quick reaction to the threat and demonstrated cooperation between the allies,” said Marion Messer, Senior Chatham House, said The Guardian. However, as the expert notes, judging by the number of drones who find themselves in the airspace of the country, it is unlikely that this was an accident.

And this is even despite the fact that Belarus claims the opposite: according to her, the navigation systems of drones failed, and because of this they deviated from the course.

“Now NATO does not consider this violation of the airspace as a deliberate attack, but in conjunction with other recent actions in the“ gray zone ”this suggests that Russia is trying to check where the red lines of the Alliance are taking place,” the interlocutor The Guardian notes.

Le monde: "Just a few days before military exercises"

The attack occurred only a few hours after Tusk announced the closure of the Poland border with Belarus due to the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises of the West 2025, which will be held from September 13 to 16, the Le Monde journalists note .

The exercises cause a special concern of Warsaw.

According to the Polish Prime Minister, the goal of the exercises of Russia and Belarus is to simulate the occupation of the Suvalka corridor.

This is a narrow strip of land with a length of 100 kilometers located between Belarus and the Kaliningrad region. It is here that the border between Lithuania and Poland runs. This corridor is the only land route connecting the Baltic countries with the rest of the Europe through the territories of the EU and NATO.

“It is enough for Russia and its ally [Belarus] to capture him to block land access to the Baltic countries. This scenario has been concerned since Vladimir Putin began an attack on Crimea and Donbass in 2014, and then throughout Ukraine in 2022, ”said Le Monde.

The New York Times: "Putin is convinced of his military superiority"

On Sunday, Russia inflicted on Ukraine the most massive missile-acuational blow in the history of the conflict, pays the attention of The New York Times. Then, on Wednesday, tension with the West increased sharply when Russian drones flew over the territory of Poland, having made an “impressive invasion of the NATO country”, said Anton Trojanovsky, head of the Moscow Bureau of the publication.

“Putin makes it clear that he is convinced of his military superiority. For the allies of Kyiv in Europe, his warning is that they will have a danger if they realize their plans to deploy troops in Ukraine.

He signals Trump that he will not compromise in relation to his key requirements, while arguing that Russia is still ready for the deal, ”he wrote.

Even an accidental invasion can quickly get out of control, the NYT is noted in another article. Poland and other Eastern European countries are already in a state of increased readiness because of fears that "the Kremlin’s expansionist plans can go beyond Ukraine and spread in the territory that once entered the Communist Bloc."

For many Western officials, the BPL invasion has become another sign that Russia has not been and will never be seriously tuned to the world on any conditions, except for Putin’s conditions, Nyt notes.

EU leaders: "Europe will protect every square centimeter of its territory"

Poland is closest to an open conflict since the Second World War, the country's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday. “I have no reason to say that we are on the verge of war, but the devil is crossed, and now the situation is incomparably more dangerous than before,” he said.

The Chairman of the European Commission Ursula von der Lyan , speaking to the European parliament, condemned the “dangerous” and “unprecedented” violation of the Polish and European airspace “more than ten Russian dried -ups”. “Europe is completely solid with Poland,” she said, adding that the EU “will protect every square centimeter of its territory.”

The violation of the airspace of Poland, apparently, was intentional, said the head of the diplomacy of the EU of the EU Kai Callas in X. “We witnessed the most serious violation by Russia by European airspace since the beginning of the war, and there is reason to believe that it was a deliberate act, not an accident,” she wrote.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called Russia's actions “reckless”, but expressed the opinion that the alliance responded “very effectively”. According to him, a “full assessment” of the situation is now being held, but regardless of whether it was “intentional or not, it is absolutely irresponsible and dangerous.” “My message to Putin is clear: stop the war in Ukraine, stop breaking our airspace and know that we are vigilant and will protect every inch of NATO territory,” he added.

The invasion of Russian drones into the airspace of Poland is completely unacceptable, said French President Emmanuel Macron . “I most decisively condemn these actions. I urge Russia to stop this recklessness. Again I declare to the Polish people and its government about our complete solidarity. In the near future I will negotiate with the Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte. We will not compromise in the safety of the Allies, ”he said in X.

British Prime Minister Cyrus Starmer said that he was “deeply concerned” with “egregious and unprecedented violation of the airspace of Poland and NATO Russian drones.” “This is an extremely dangerous act of Russia, which only reminds us of Putin’s flagrant neglect of the world,” the British leader emphasized, thanking “NATO forces and Polish forces that quickly responded to protect the alliance.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kasytutis Budris also warned against escalation in Eastern Europe: “No one is safe here, no one is safe in the region, no one is safe in Europe and inside the alliance, since such incidents can very quickly lead to escalation. We are extremely interested - perhaps the strongest - in avoiding such scenarios. ”

German Foreign Minister Johann Vadpul also condemned the invasion of Russian drones into the airspace of Poland. “Russia thereby frivolously went to a dangerous escalation,” the politician said. Vadpul noted that the events of last night show how difficult the current time is for European security.