"Polish officials said early on Wednesday that multiple Russian drones were shot down after crossing into the country's airspace, marking the Ukraine war's latest spillover into NATO territory. NATO fighter jets responded to the incident, with an alliance spokesperson characterizing it as the first time that NATO aircraft "have engaged potential threats in allied airspace." Ukrainian and Western officials condemned the incursion, calling it a test of NATO's air defenses, where the alliance has acknowledged that it has gaps."
"Russian President Vladimir Putin "just keeps escalating, expanding his war, and testing the West," Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign affairs minister, said in response. "The longer he faces no strength in response, the more aggressive he gets." Petr Fiala, the Czech Republic's prime minister, said that the Russian drone incursion "is a test of the defense capabilities of NATO countries." And European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, likewise, said that "Russia once again tests frontier states.""
Polish officials reported multiple Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace and were shot down early Wednesday. NATO fighter jets scrambled and engaged the threats, marking the first time NATO aircraft have engaged potential threats in allied airspace. NATO deployed Dutch F-35s, F-16s, an airborne early warning plane, a refueling tanker, and placed Patriot missile batteries on alert. Ukrainian and Western officials described the incursion as a test of NATO air defenses and warned of Russian escalation. Officials noted existing gaps in alliance defenses and cautioned that weak responses could encourage further aggression.
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