UN Security Council to meet Friday on drone incursions in Poland

By Pawel Florkiewicz and Barbara Erling

WARSAW (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Friday to discuss drone incursions into its airspace that the Polish president described as an attempt by Russia to test Warsaw and NATO's response.

Poland also banned drone flights along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine, and limited small air traffic there, after shooting down what it said were Russian drones that violated its airspace on Wednesday.

Poland was backed by its NATO allies in shooting down the drones - the first time a member of the military alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia's war in Ukraine - and Germany said on Thursday it would strengthen its commitment to NATO's eastern border in response to the incursions.

Russia said it had not intended to hit any targets in Poland, and that it would make no further comment on the incident. A senior NATO commander said it was not yet known whether the drone incursions were intentional.

But the incident has raised questions about NATO's preparedness against drone attacks, fuelled tensions with Russia and prompted some Western leaders to seek new sanctions against Moscow and question its commitment to peace efforts in Ukraine.

"This Russian provocation, as the generals and our soldiers are well aware, was nothing more than an attempt to test our capabilities, our ability to respond," Polish President Karol Nawrocki told soldiers on Thursday.  

U.N. Security Council members Slovenia, Denmark, Greece, France and Britain asked the 15-member body to meet over the incident. 

Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes and NATO mid-air refuelling aircraft scrambled in the operation to shoot down drones in Polish airspace overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday, officials said.

The debris of 16 drones had so far been recovered, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told parliament on Thursday.

He said Poland's logistical support for Ukraine may have been a motivation for the incursions - most aid for Ukraine transits via Poland.

"This is an attempt to weaken NATO's and Poland's willingness to support Ukraine," he said.    

SOME AIR TRAFFIC RESTRICTED

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he had activated Article 4 of NATO's treaty, under which alliance members can demand consultations with their allies.

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Nawrocki on Wednesday, and the leaders expressed unity. But Washington said little about the drone incursions on the eve of a prisoner release by Belarus that followed an appeal by the U.S. president.

European leaders, who want Trump to join them in tightening sanctions on Russia and boosting support for Kyiv, said the airspace violations justified a collective response.

Germany said it would intensify support for Ukraine and work within the European Union towards the swift adoption of more sanctions against Russia following the drone incursions.

"In addition to existing commitments in the Baltics and Poland, the government will extend and expand air policing over Poland," a German government spokesperson said.

The Netherlands is sending 300 soldiers and accelerating deployment of two out of three Patriot air defence batteries promised to Poland, and the Czech Republic could send three helicopters and 100 soldiers, Poland's defence minister said. 

Lawmakers from three Baltic nations bordering Russia urged the U.S. Congress to reject a proposal by Trump that would slash about $200 million a year in defence support for the region.

"In this region, if America goes out, Russia comes in," said Zygimantas Pavilionis, Lithuania's former ambassador to the U.S.

Neither Poland nor NATO has yet given a full account of what they suspect the drones were doing. NATO also faces questions about whether foreign drones should even be able to enter its airspace and how well equipped it is to deal with such threats.    

Air traffic restrictions imposed by Poland along the borders with Ukraine and Belarus will apply until December 9, Polish air traffic authorities said. 

Under the restrictions, general aviation - mainly small and recreational aircraft and helicopters - will be restricted and civilian uncrewed aircraft, such as drones, are banned. 

Commercial passenger flights in the area are not affected but the drone incursions have reignited safety concerns over the vulnerability of civil air transport in Europe. 

"This is going to be an ongoing issue for all airlines and all European citizens for the next number of years," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary.  

(Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz, Barbara Erling, Anna Koper, Karol Badohal, Marek Strzelecki and Anna Magdalena Lubowicka in Warsaw, Conor Humphries in Dublin, Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Writing by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Nia Williams)