Rutte after Russian drones hit Poland: 'We are able to defend every inch of NATO territory'
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the Alliance's response to the incident in Poland "very successful." He emphasized that last night showed NATO's readiness to defend every inch of its territory, including its airspace, according to The Guardian.
Rutte underlines that the assessment of the situation is still ongoing. However, regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the intrusion of Russian drones is "absolutely dangerous and reckless."
"To Putin, my message is clear: stop the war in Ukraine, stop escalating the war, which he is now basically mounting on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure, and stop violating allied airspace. Know that we stand ready, that we are vigilant, and that we will defend every inch of NATO territory," the Secretary General stressed.
The NATO chief also praised the Allies' response to the incident.
"I think last night showed that we are able to defend every inch of NATO territory, including, of course, its airspace," Rutte added.
Russian drones in Poland
On the night of September 10, Russia's drone attack on Ukraine for the first time spilled into Poland, a NATO member state. At least 19 drones entered Polish territory, four of which were shot down.
Because of the massive attack and the potential threat to the country, airports in Warsaw, Lublin, and Rzeszów were temporarily shut down.
According to Polish Interior Ministry spokesperson Karolina Galecka, authorities have so far identified seven drones and "remnants of a missile of unknown origin."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that, following the incident, Warsaw officially requested NATO to invoke Article 4 of the Treaty.
In addition, Poland's Foreign Ministry is preparing to hand Russia a note of protest over the overnight drone incursion into its territory. A Russian diplomat has already been summoned to the ministry.
