Polish media published these photos on Wednesday morning. A residential building was hit in the Lublin region. In total, more than a dozen drones are said to have entered Polish airspace.

DLNews World at War:

NATO Airspace Breached as Russian Drone Strikes Polish Home

Poland awoke today to the sobering reality that the war in Ukraine had spilled directly into NATO territory. In the early hours, Polish forces intercepted and destroyed multiple drones that had crossed into the alliance’s airspace during Russia’s overnight barrage on Ukraine. Yet at least one of the drones penetrated deep enough to cause visible destruction, damaging a residential building in Wyryki, Lublin region. Images published in the Polish press showed a roof torn apart and part of a wall collapsed onto a parked car. No injuries were reported, but the incident rattled communities and raised the stakes for Europe’s collective security.

Local officials remain cautious in assessing the damage. Mariusz Zańko, mayor of Włodawa County, said investigators could not yet confirm whether the house was struck directly by a drone or by falling debris, though residents reported hearing an explosion. Police confirmed debris was located in nearby Czosnowka shortly after 5:40 a.m., underscoring the scale of the overnight incursion.

The house was severely damaged, but no injuries were reported.

The Polish Armed Forces labeled the violation “an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the security of the population.” Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that Polish aircraft engaged the drones with live weapons, while Dutch F-35 fighter jets and a tanker aircraft were also dispatched in coordinated NATO action. Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency government session at 8 a.m. and stated he remained in direct contact with military and alliance leadership.

The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, called the breach the most severe Russian violation of NATO airspace since the invasion of Ukraine began. She noted there were “indications this was intentional and not accidental,” raising the possibility that Moscow had deliberately tested the alliance’s boundaries.

For ordinary Poles, the immediate disruption was tangible. Four airports, including Warsaw Chopin and those in Lublin and Rzeszow, were temporarily closed overnight due to “unplanned military activities.” Though airspace reopened by morning, delays and cancellations rippled through flight schedules. Authorities warned residents to avoid drone debris, urging vigilance while Homeland Security units combed the countryside for remnants.

The incident places NATO in an unenviable position. While no casualties were reported, the breach highlights the razor-thin margin between containment and escalation. A single drone, whether by malfunction or design, has turned a borderland incident into a stark reminder that the war’s dangers now directly threaten the alliance itself.