Russian Drones Spark Nato Tensions as Poland Scrambles to Defend Its Skies

Russian Drone Incursion into Poland Tests Nato Resolve A series of Russian drones entered Polish airspace early Wednesday morning, prompting an emergency government meeting and scrambling jets to intercept the intruders. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that 19 incursions were made, with at least three drones shot down by Warsaw's jets, aided by Dutch F-35s and an Italian early warning aircraft. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the first drone detected at 2:45am local time. The immediate impact was swift, with Poland's government convening an emergency meeting to discuss the incident. Nato officials also scrambled jets to intercept the drones, with multiple countries participating in the response. Background context suggests that this is not an isolated incident. Tensions between Russia and Nato have been escalating over the past year, with several high-profile incidents involving Russian military aircraft breaching international airspace. The incident has sparked concerns about the resolve of European nations against Moscow's aggression. "There is no evidence whatsoever that this amount of drones flew over this route over... Polish territory by accident," said Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. Russia has pushed back against accusations, stating that "no objects on Polish territory were planned to be targeted." However, officials have forcefully batted off suggestions that the act may have been unintentional. The incident is set to dominate international headlines in the coming days, with Nato leaders scheduled to meet in emergency session to discuss the implications. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, and the need for continued vigilance from European nations. *This story is developing. Information compiled from Bbc reporting.*