Poland’s State Protection Service (SOP) neutralised a drone flying over sensitive government buildings in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed Monday in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Two Belarusian citizens were detained in connection with the incident, and police have launched an investigation.
The event comes amid heightened regional tensions following a series of recent airspace violations. Poland reported that, in the early hours of Wednesday, a record 19 drones—believed to be Russian—breached its airspace. Tusk convened an extraordinary government meeting at the chancellery in Warsaw on September 10, 2025, to address the situation.
Poland remains one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in its defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion, providing approximately €3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid. The country has also hosted 1–1.6 million Ukrainian refugees, the largest number in Europe, according to the UN Refugee Agency. While Ukrainian refugees have boosted Poland’s economy—paying more in taxes than they’ve received in benefits, according to a study by Poland’s National Development Bank—support for continued assistance has been waning. A Flash Eurobarometer survey last year found only 60% of Poles favor ongoing state support for war refugees.
Regional tensions intensified further on Monday when Romania condemned Moscow for “irresponsible actions” after a Russian drone allegedly entered Romanian airspace during an attack on Ukraine. The incident prompted Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.
In response to these developments, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Eastern Sentry initiative on Friday to bolster defenses along the Alliance’s eastern flank.
“We see drones violating our airspace. Whether it was intentional or not, it is unacceptable. The allies have expressed full solidarity with Poland,” Rutte said. “The defence of the eastern flank is our key task. That is why we are launching Eastern Sentry to further strengthen our eastern flank.”
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