Polish president approves NATO troop deployment amid Russian drone incursions
Photo: Polish President Karol Nawrocki (Getty Images)
Polish President Karol Nawrocki approved the deployment of NATO troops to Poland under Operation Eastern Sentry, according to the Polish National Security Bureau.
The approval follows Russian drone incursions into Poland on September 10, which prompted NATO to launch Operation Eastern Sentry.
The Bureau said the troop deployment is part of the operation. It added that the President had signed a decree allowing foreign NATO forces to operate on Polish territory to strengthen defense capabilities.
The statement also noted that the resolution is classified.
Russian drones in Poland
On the night of September 10, Russia carried out a combined attack on Ukraine using drones and missiles. Drones were recorded across multiple regions of Ukraine, with approximately 20 crossing into Polish airspace.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the country’s airspace was violated at least 19 times. Combat aircraft were scrambled. Air defense forces shot down four drones, and wreckage from 16 has been recovered.
NATO invoked Article 4 of the Alliance in response to the incident. Operation Eastern Sentry was launched in Poland, with NATO allies deploying aircraft to the country. Allied forces, including units from Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, will also be stationed there.
Reuters reported that Poland is accelerating civilian military training. Tens of thousands of volunteers are undergoing drills. Defense spending has reached a record 4.7% of GDP, the highest level in NATO.
Poland also faced another drone threat on September 13. Drones were detected over Ukraine's Volyn region, prompting the deployment of Polish aircraft. One drone entered Romanian airspace and remained there for about 50 minutes.
