Poland’s foreign minister confirmed Wednesday that NATO has activated Article 4 in response to repeated Russian drone violations of Polish airspace, marking the first direct NATO military engagement in a member’s airspace.
Ratification of Article 4 activation
POLISH FOREIGN MINISTRY: Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski confirmed to RMF FM on Wednesday that Poland officially requested activation of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty after numerous Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace.
Article 4 background
Article 4 allows for mutual consultations in the event of an imminent threat to the territorial or political independence of member states. Poland previously invoked Article 4 in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine, as well as in 2021 during the migrant crisis on the border with Belarus.
Russian drone violations
Polish authorities reported a total of 19 airspace violations by Russian drones, with some shot down by NATO allied aircraft. This marks the first time NATO has engaged in direct military action within a member state’s airspace.
