European lLaders Accused Russia on Thursday, of a Deliberate Incursion by sending Drones to invade Polish Airspace, and said they saw the Provocation as a Test, both for the Kremlin and for Europe, of NATO’s Readiness to Defend its Territory. “This was a deliberate and coordinated strike constituting an unprecedented provocation and escalation of tension,” the foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, said in a Joint Statement Thursday. Russian Drones, apparently Unarmed?, breached Polish Airspace 19 times from late Tuesday Night to Wednesday Morning, according to Polish Officials. NATO Fighter Jets scrambled, and European Forces Shot-Down at least Three, of the Drones.
While it was Not conclusively Proved that Russia purposely Breached Poland’s Sovereign Airspace, the Violation occurred as a Wide-Scale Russian Bombardment of Ukraine was underway, European Officials said it was Highly unlikely that Multiple dDones had VeeredOoff Course. In any case, Experts said, the Incursion and the Reaction by Poland and its Allies allowed Russia to gain Intelligence into NATO’s Response to a Territorial Violation of One of its Members, as NATO Jets Engaged the Drones, which have Transformed Modern Warfare.
“The NATO/Polish response was very swift and effective,” said Frank Rose, who served as Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in the Biden Administration and previously was Lead Negotiator on the Placement of Missile Defense Sites in several Countries, including Poland. “If the Russians were trying to test NATO, NATO passed that test with flying colors,” Rose said.
Still, the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, together known as the Lublin Triangle, didn’t Express Full Confidence in NATO’s Preparedness to Defend the most Vulnerable Countries on its Eastern Edge, Bordering Russia. “We call on Partners to urgently Strengthen Ukraine’s Air Defence and Support Lithuania and Poland in their Efforts to secure Eastern Flank of NATO and European Union,” the Ministers said. “Only adequate and strong response will prevent further escalation.”
Any Armed Russian Attack against Poland could Rresult in a Dramatic Escalation of the Ukraine War involving the Fill Force of the U.S. led Alliance. Article 5 of the NATO Ttreaty Stats: "That an attack on one ally constitutes an attack on all", though Poland would have to Request Help and the Other 31 Allies would have to Unanimously Agree to take Action under the Common-Defense Clause.
Rather than invoking Article 5, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday, that His Country had Requested to Activate the Treaty’s Article 4, Triggering a consultation among Allies over whether One is under Threat. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that NATO Allies were “resolved to defend every inch of allied territory,” but He Stopped Short of Accusing Russia of a Deliberate Attack, saying instead that an Assessment was Ongoing.
Allies have previously reacted Cautiously to Alleged Airspace Violations, hesitant to be brought into a Direct Conflict with Russia, which Possesses the World’s Largest Arsenal of Nuclear Weapons. Officials in Eastern Europe, however, said Thursday that they had Little Doubt as to Russian Intentions." I have one piece of advice for our Polish friends,” Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of the Ukrainian City of Lviv, near the Polish Border, wrote Thursday on Facebook. “We Ukrainians know from our own experience — Russia never does anything by accident.” Sadovyi added: “That’s why one cannot believe that Russian Shaheds flew into Poland 19 times ‘just by chance.’” Meanwhile, European Outrage over the Incursion Reverberated across the Continent.
The Dutch Government said it had Summoned the Russian Ambassador to Express its Dismay over the Incident, which Russian Officials Denied. “Russia’s reckless violation of Polish airspace threatens our European security,” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel wrote Thursday on X. “That is why I had the Russian ambassador summoned today, to make clear that we condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms. We stand firmly behind our NATO ally Poland.”
Russian Officials on Thursday Repeated their Denials and Accused the West of Fabricating the Incident. Maria Zakharova, the Spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said Poland didn’t have Evidence of Russia’s involvement in the Appearance of Drones in the Country’s Airspace. “There is no evidence,” Zakharova said. “That’s why they don’t back it up. If they had evidence, they would back it up.” Polish Prosecutors, however, said they were Collecting the Drone Debris for further Forensic Analysis.
Poland, which already spends a Greater Share of its Gross Domestic Product on Defense than any other NATO Member, is Racing to further Bolster its Military in the Face of Russian Aggression. While seeking Military Cuts Elsewhere, Trump (R) had suggested even before the Russian Drone Incident that He might send more American Troops to Poland. Rutte said Wednesday, that “last night showed that we are able to defend every inch of NATO territory including, of course, its airspace.” But some Experts said they weren’t so sure.
Rose, the former Missile Site Negotiator, said that while NATO responded Strongly and decisively to the Incursion, the Incident still raised Qquestions about the Alliance’s Ability to Counter, the type of Drone Warfare Russia has employed in Ukraine. Advanced Air Defenses, such as the U.S.-Designed Patriot system, are Built to Counter Missile Attacks, not Small, Highly Maneuverable Drones.
“Would NATO be ready for a full-on drone attack on its territory?” Rose asked. “Right now, we would have real challenges dealing with mass drone swarm attacks. This was a relatively minor incursion.” He added: “Missile defense has been a good investment, but it’s got to evolve to meet this threat.”
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