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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed that Poland is triggering NATO’s Article 4 in response to last night’s violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, which were shot down by Polish and allied forces.
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty can be used if any member state believes its “territorial integrity, political independence or security…is threatened”. It has previously been invoked seven times, including by Poland and seven other countries when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Triggering Article 4 launches a consultation process within NATO, which can then lead to the alliance taking action. In 2022, it resulted in NATO providing support to Ukraine and activating its own response force.
💬 Premier @donaldtusk: "Artykuł 4 to dopiero początek do pogłębionej współpracy na rzecz bezpieczeństwa naszego nieba i naszej granicy, która jest granicą NATO". 👇 pic.twitter.com/r3qeXu3y6i
— Koalicja Obywatelska 🇵🇱✌️ (@ko_klub) September 10, 2025
Addressing parliament on Wednesday morning about the drone incident, Tusk confirmed that there had been a “formal request to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty” and that this had been decided jointly with President Karol Nawrocki, who is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
“The fact that these drones, which directly threatened our security, were shot down is a success for our and NATO’s military, but it also, of course, changes the political situation,” said the prime minister, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
He added that, during the consultations, Poland would make clear that it expects “significantly greater support” in defending its airspace.
“Today, we must say very loudly and clearly, to the entire Western world, to all our allies…[that] this is a confrontation that Russia has declared against the entire free world,” said Tusk, quoted by news website Onet. “This [message] must finally reach everyone.”
Poland has shot down a number of Russian military drones that entered its airspace in what the government has called an "unprecedented act of aggression".
"This is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over a NATO country," says @donaldtusk https://t.co/zG29zevDWy
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) September 10, 2025
On Wednesday morning, French President Emmanuel Macron released a statement, written in Polish, condemning Russia’s “unacceptable incursion” into Polish airspace and expressing “full solidarity with the Polish nation and government”.
Macron revealed that he would soon hold talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the incident. “We will not make any compromises on the issue of the security of the allies,” declared the French president.
Meanwhile, NATO’s top military commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, said that the alliance would react “quickly and decisively” to the incident, reports PAP.
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: KPRM (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
