The Polish Embassy in Tanzania briefed journalists in Dar es Salaam about the September 9–10, 2025, drone incident, in which about 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace.
Speaking to reporters on September 25, 2025, the Head of Mission of Poland, Sergiusz Wolski, said that Russia’s actions required the country to strengthen its defense capabilities and to support NATO’s deterrence and defense policy.
“Russia launched around 20 drones into Polish territory. Some of these drones came from Belarus. This was a planned operation. It lasted more than 7 hours. The Russians used decoy drones with extended range. So, they were flying for a few hours around Polish territory,” said Sergiusz Wolski, Poland’s Head of Mission.
The incident prompted response from Poland and its NATO allies, who deployed fighter jets to counter the threat.
“The Polish Air Force and our allies, namely the Netherlands, Germany, Italy responded professionally. We neutralized the threat and shot down some of these drones,” Wolski said.
While Russia has denied targeting Poland, the incident has triggered widespread discussion across Europe, especially given that similar incursions have occurred in other countries. Some analysts describe these events as a provocative test of NATO’s response.
Other incidents include a drone incursion into Romanian airspace on September 14, 2025, and the breach of Estonian airspace by three armed Russian MiG-31 aircraft on September 19, 2025. Unidentified drones were also reported over Copenhagen Airport in Denmark.
The Polish government had summoned the Russian representative in Warsaw, and the matter was also debated at the UN Security Council. “Russia aims to draw other countries into the war, including Poland,” Wolski said. “Russia does not act as a responsible member of the international community.”
“For many months they have carried out hybrid operations in the region, not only in Poland, but in the whole region of northern and eastern Europe. It includes GPS jamming, cutting undersea cables, arson, disinformation campaign and cyberattacks,” he continued.
European defense ministers are expected to meet today, September 26, 2025, to discuss measures against the threat of Russia’s drone incursions into European skies.
