Poland closest to open conflict since WWII, warns PM Tusk amid Russian drone incursions

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday issued a stark warning that the country is facing its most dangerous security situation since the end of World War Two, following Russian drone incursions and the buildup of military activity along its eastern border.

According to The Guardian report, Tusk said the prospect of a large-scale military conflict is now “closer than at any time since the Second World War,” underscoring growing fears in Warsaw over Russian aggression and instability in the region.

“There is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war, but the situation is significantly more dangerous than all previous ones,” The Guardian quoted Tusk as saying.

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His comments came after several Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight, in what officials described as a deliberate provocation.

Tusk stressed that the drone incidents were just one part of a broader and escalating security threat, as Russia and Belarus prepare to launch what he called “aggressive” joint military exercises later this week.

Polish forces shot down multiple drones that violated the country’s airspace on Wednesday, with support from Nato military aircraft, marking the first known instance of a Nato member firing shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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Warsaw reported that 19 aerial objects entered Polish airspace during a large-scale Russian air assault on Ukraine. Those deemed a threat were intercepted and destroyed.

Tusk described the incident as a “large-scale provocation” and confirmed that Poland had invoked Article Four of the Nato treaty, which calls for urgent consultations among alliance members when one feels its security is under threat.

Moscow has denied responsibility for the drone incursions.

European leaders, already pressing US President Donald Trump to ramp up sanctions against Russia and increase military support for Ukraine, said the incident warranted a coordinated response. Washington has yet to issue a formal statement.

With inputs from agencies