Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has stated that last week’s Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace was a deliberate attempt by the Kremlin to test NATO’s response through gradual escalation without triggering a full-scale reaction.
Sikorski confirmed that while the drones used in the incursion were capable of carrying munitions, those that entered Poland were not armed with explosives.
“Interestingly, they were all useless, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war,” Sikorski told The Guardian during his visit to Kyiv.
The minister dismissed suggestions that Poland’s air defense was unprepared, despite reports indicating that some drones traveled hundreds of miles inside Polish territory, with only three or four out of around 19 intercepted.
According to him, the outcome should not be underestimated:
“The drones did not reach their targets, there was only minor property damage, and no one was injured. If this had happened in Ukraine, by their definitions, it would be considered a 100% success.”
In response, NATO announced on Friday that it will deploy additional fighter jets to the alliance’s eastern flank to bolster defenses against future drone attacks.
On Saturday, Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled again due to renewed threats of drone strikes in western Ukraine. Authorities temporarily closed the airport in Lublin, while residents in border areas received SMS alerts urging caution.
This time, however, there were no confirmed incursions.
