Poland invokes Article 4 after Russian drones shot down over its territory

Defence secretary John Healey has asked UK armed forces “to look at options to bolster NATO’s air defence over Poland” following a Russian drone attack overnight.

Polish airspace was violated by Russian drones in the early hours of Wednesday, 10 September, and those that posed a direct threat were shot down, according to Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, who has since requested to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty.

Speaking after talks in London with defence officials from Poland, Italy, France, and Germany (the E5), Healey said Russian president Vladimir Putin is “testing us” with the “reckless” attacks overnight as he vowed that Western allies “will stand firm”.

“Together we, the E5, totally condemn these attacks. Russia’s actions are reckless, they’re dangerous, they’re unprecedented," said the defence secretary.

“We see what Putin is doing. Yet again, he is testing us. Yet again, we will stand firm.”

Prime minister Keir Starmer said he had been in touch with Tusk to make clear the UK’s support for Poland and Ukraine, and said the UK and partners will continue to “ramp up the pressure on Putin until there is a just and lasting peace”.

Since the war started in 2022, there have been several incidents of Russian drones entering the airspace of states bordering Ukraine, including Poland and Romania – but this marks the first time a Nato member has directly engaged with Russian assets.

The incident unfolded during one of Russia’s largest drone attacks on Ukraine, with western regions near the Polish border targeted.

Poland’s military command said radars had tracked more than 10 objects and those that could pose a threat were “neutralized” and that the operation had concluded.

“Some of the drones that entered our airspace were shot down. Searches and efforts to locate the potential crash sites of these objects are ongoing,” it said in a statement.

The command described Russia’s attack as “an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens”. No casualties have been reported but four airports – including Warsaw Chopin – temporarily closed.

All eyes will now be on how Nato responds to Russia’s drone incursion. "The fact that these drones, which posed a security threat, were shot down changes the political situation. Therefore, allied consultations took the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the NATO Treaty," Tusk said, adding that the escalation meant Poland was the “closest to armed conflict since World War Two".

Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down. I am in constant communication with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) September 10, 2025

 

Jim Townsend, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense, told the BBC that the use of multiple drones by Russia was “not a mistake” and that the attack was "more than likely a test”, one which “Nato has to answer”.

What is Article 4?

Article 4 of the Nato treaty allows any member country to call for consultations with other allies whenever it feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is under threat.

Crucially, Article 4 does not involve a military response, but instead opens the door for diplomatic discussions among Nato members to assess the situation and decide on possible next steps.

While invoking Article 4 does not automatically lead to action, it is seen as a serious political signal and could lead to further Nato involvement or support.

It has been triggered several times in the past, including by Turkey during conflicts along its southern border with Syria.

Poland has previously invoked the article following missile strikes near its border with Ukraine in 2022.

What is Nato?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or Nato, is a political and military alliance of 32 countries "that exists to protect the people and territory of its members".

Its purpose "is to guarantee the freedom and security" of those members "through political and military means".

Which countries are in Nato?

Nato was set up in 1949 to protect members against the USSR, with 12 nations initially signing up to the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington DC.

These countries were the US, Canada, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.

Over time, Nato has gradually expanded with additional members joining – including Poland in March 1999.

Other countries have also joined – Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkiye. 

Finland and Sweden were the most recent to join, in 2023 and 2024 respectively, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The drone attack in Poland now puts its membership under the spotlight as it means it is part of the collective defense guarantee of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

What is Article 5?

The collective defense clause of Nato’s founding treaty – Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – is a provision that means an attack against one member is considered an attack against all of them.

This is a fundamental part of Nato and often cited as the primary reason as to why it is considered a defensive alliance. 

Nato says military operations are carried out under Article 5 or a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.

It states: “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

"Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.”

What about Ukraine’s Nato membership?

Ukraine is only a "partner country", which means it "cooperates closely with Nato but it is not covered by the security guarantee in the alliance’s founding treaty".

Ultimately, this means Nato is not treaty-bound to defend Ukraine.

Membership has been mooted as far back as 2008, with president Volodymir Zelensky pressing the issue again following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Following Nato’s summit in July 2024, it said an invitation will be made once members have agreed "conditions are met" surrounding democratic, economic, and security reforms.

In February 2025, Keir Starmer said Britain remains committed to Ukraine being on "an irreversible path to Nato" membership as part of a wider commitment in line with its European allies.

However, Donald Trump’s peace talks with Russia have seemingly placed Kyiv’s hopes of joining the alliance on the back burner.

Following his Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in August, Trump said there would be "no going into Nato by Ukraine" as part of any peace deal.

What has Trump said about Nato?

One of Trump’s most defining foreign policy stances during his presidency is his relentless push for Nato allies to increase defense spending.

Trump has been highly critical of other Nato member states over their levels of defense spending, pressuring Western countries to do more to pay for their own security.

He successfully called on Nato allies to spend 5% of their GDP on defense ahead of his second term. The US spends 3.4%, while each country is committed to 2%.

The spending consists of 3.5% in military spending and the rest going on things like intelligence, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

For the UK, this represents a real-terms increase of around £30bn after 2027.

Trump was specifically asked about his support for Article 5 in February 2025, saying that while he supported it, he doesn’t think there would be “any reason for it”.

The incursion into Polish territory sparked comments from Republican representative Joe Wilson, a senior member of the foreign affairs committee, who called on Trump to respond after describing Russia’s attack on “Nato ally Poland” as an “act of war”.

He urged Trump to respond with sanctions “that will bankrupt the Russian war machine”.

Sophia Martinez