Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the Polish National Assembly on September 10 that NATO's Early Warning and Air Control System (AWACS) has been put in a state of alert after reports of a major attack by Russian missiles and drones on Ukraine on the night of September 9.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that there were 19 airstrikes in Poland overnight, many of which were drones entering from Belarus.
The first air violation occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on September 9, local time, and lasted until around 6:30 a.m. on September 10.
The shooting down of these drones, which pose a security threat, has changed the political situation. Therefore, the consultations of the allies have been conducted in the form of a requirement to officially activate Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, said Mr. Tusk.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that three drones were shot down and that a fourth one was likely to be hit. The Polish Prime Minister stressed that this incident was unprecedented.
Article 4 of the NATO Treaty covers cases where a member country feels threatened by another country or a terrorist organization. At that time, NATO member states will begin formal consultations at the request of the threatened member.
The consultation will consider whether the threat exists and how to respond and decisions that need to be unanimously approved. However, Article 4 does not mean that there will be direct pressure for member countries to act.
On September 10, Acting Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said that the Dutch air force had assisted Poland in shot down a Russian drone that violated the country's airspace.
Its good that the Dutch F-35 fighters can provide support. The Netherlands stands side by side with our NATO ally, Poland," he said.
The Dutch acting prime minister also said he had discussed the incident with Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte.
Earlier this year, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced that F-35s would be deployed in Poland from September 1 during a 3-month aerial patrol mission.
Poland summoned the Russian Ambassador to Warsaw after claiming to have shot down a number of Russian drones that violated its airspace.
Russia's interim spokesman Andrei Ordash told RIA Novosti that he had been summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry for a meeting at noon on September 10.
Warsaw has yet to produce evidence that the drones are from Russia, he said.
