NATO shoots down Russian drones in the largest incursion into Poland
Incident Report
Fact Sheet
| Date | 9 Sep 2025 |
| Tracker | European Airspace Violations |
| Type | Interception |
| Location |
Elbląg, Poland
54.16, 19.40 (approximate) |
What Happened
On the night of 9-10 September at least 21 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, the largest incursion into NATO territory of the war. Polish, Dutch, Italian and American aircraft operated in the airspace and air defence systems were placed on high alert; up to four drones were shot down. Warsaw, Warsaw Modlin, Rzeszów and Lublin airports closed for the night. One drone crashed at Oleśno near Elbląg, more than 200 km from the eastern border. Poland invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty in response.
Elbląg, Poland
Marker placed at city precision.
Incidents Around the Same Period
Nearest logged incidents
| Date | Type | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep 2025 | Incursion | Russian drone fragments identified near Plauru after initial denial |
| 4 Sep 2025 | Incursion | Two Russian drones monitored inside Polish airspace |
| 8 Sep 2025 | Incursion | Drone with Cyrillic markings crashes near the Belarus border |
| 13 Sep 2025 | Incursion | Russian drone tracked for 50 minutes over Romanian airspace |