Russian "provocation"? Some drones came from Belarus

The Polish Air Force, supported by Dutch and NATO fighter jets , shot down several drones that, according to initial reports, were Russian. These drones allegedly violated Polish airspace at the same time as another attack on Ukraine was underway. Belarus , an ally of Moscow, has since stated that some of the drones in question were its own – asserting that they entered Polish airspace by accident .

Despite this statement, made by Belarus's Deputy Defense Minister, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk did not hesitate to call the incident a "large-scale provocation" by Russia . Tusk later revealed that the Polish army recorded 19 drone incursions into the country's airspace overnight.

Three—or possibly four—drones were shot down, Donald Tusk added, confirming that a significant number of drones arrived in the country from Belarus. It's unclear, however, whether drones were also arriving from elsewhere.

Airspace was suspended, and an operation was launched to "identify and neutralize targets" that "repeatedly violated" the airspace. "Polish and allied forces monitored dozens of objects by radar, and considering those that could pose a threat, the Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces decided to neutralize them," the operational command said in a statement.

At least some of the several drones that invaded Polish airspace are believed to have originated from Belarus, the country's Deputy Defense Minister said. According to the same official, some of the drones " got lost on their way " and accidentally entered Poland.

Belarus, an ally of Russia (which even has Russian missiles stationed in the country), claims that a problem with its navigation system caused the drones to "get lost." Pavel Muravyeika, in a video on Telegram, claims that Belarus itself decided to shoot down some of its drones after realizing the alleged failure in the navigation systems.

The Belarusian Deputy Defense Minister adds that between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. local time (9 p.m. and 2 a.m. in Lisbon) Belarusian authorities were in contact with Polish and Lithuanian authorities to share information about these allegedly uncontrolled drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had stated that eight Russian drones had invaded Polish airspace last night. The Ukrainian leader called for a "firm" response from allies, referring to a "threat to European security."

Polish citizens received a text message this morning telling them not to touch or approach downed drones if they encounter them. According to the BBC, this is an official text message sent by Polish authorities.

"Attention! Due to the operation to neutralize objects that violated the Polish Republic's border, please inform the authorities about the drones and their crash sites. Do not approach them," the email reads.

NATO confirmed reports that, in addition to Polish fighter jets, it had also participated in the defensive operation. However, the organization says that, at first glance, it does not consider this to be an "attack" by Russia.

A NATO spokesperson told international news agencies that the NATO Council will meet this morning for a regular session and will discuss the organization's response to this "incursion" of Russian drones into Polish airspace.