Poland requests NATO to launch Article 4. It speaks of formal consultations which are being followed by an impact on the safety of any associate State. Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed the decision in the Sejm. This is an answer to the nightly intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace.
Illustration picture. Polish F-16 aircraft.
– There's no reason to say we're at war. But there is no uncertainty that this provocation exceeds the existing borders and is incomparably more dangerous from the point of view of Poland than all erstwhile ones – Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized in the Sejm this morning. The Head of Government presented a brief analysis by the Chief of General Staff.
The first information about Russia's massive attack on Ukraine reached the Army yesterday at 10:06 p.m. Due to the magnitude of the impact, the RSZ Operations Command has increased the readiness of the forces active in Operation East Zorza, which has been moving since August last year, with the aim of strengthening the air defence of the territory of the country, especially the areas at the east border.
The air was picked up by aircraft early informing Saab and AWACS, pairs of F-35 and F-16 aircraft, as well as Mi-14, Mi-17 and Black Hawk helicopters. “This was an allied action within NATO,” explained the Prime Minister. The first breach of the Polish airspace occurred around 11:30, the last 1 – 6:30. – The military has recorded 19 overruns and circumstantial violations, but this is not the final data. The Chief of General Staff wants to supply only confirmed information," Tusk noted.
Importantly, a large part of the unmanned workers came not as they had been before from the territory of Ukraine, but from the border with Belarus. Right now, we've confirmed 3 drones were shot down. The 4th was most likely destroyed. However, we do not regulation out that there were more shootings – said the Prime Minister. At the time of the seismic appearance, the search for device remains continued and the verification of data.
Speech by Prime Minister Donald Tusk present in the Sejm.
In connection with the operation of Polish and allied forces, 4 civilian airports were temporarily closed – in Warsaw, Modlin, Lublin and Rzeszów. As the head of government explained, the airports were not at hazard of impact. The decision to immobilise them was dictated by the request to supply the military with operational freedom. “The airports are already operational,” said Tusk.
As a consequence of the night events, Poland will ask NATO to launch Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. It reads: ‘The Parties shall consult each another whenever, according to any of them, territorial integrity, political independency or safety of either organization is threatened.’ “The decision was preceded by a consultation with the president and this is our joint recommendation,” said Tusk.
The Prime Minister besides stressed that he had met Karol Nawrocki twice since the beginning of dramatic events. Both politicians agreed that regardless of interior political divisions in Poland, they would act together on this issue. – 1 of the political objectives of our enemies is to influence the interior situation of the country attacked or provoked. The fact that we can present – and I hope that it will be so in the future – in these matters we represent an absolutely uniform political attitude is our large asset. Let us minimize the risks associated with diversion, misinformation. due to the fact that drones are only part of a larger operation," stressed the head of government. Night events were included in the context of the Russian-Belarusian “Zapad” maneuvers starting on Friday. They will be conducted in the vicinity of the borders with Poland and Lithuania, and 1 of the assumptions of the script is simulated operation of the alleged Suwałki gulf and the passage of the land corridor from Russia to the Królewiecki Oblast.
Tusk besides spoke in the Sejm about the expressions of support flowing to Poland from the West – Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the Baltic States. – Poland is grateful for the words of solidarity, but that is not enough. present it is very loud and clear to the full Western world. Article 4 is just an introduction to deeper cooperation in terms of protecting our sky and our border, which is besides the NATO border. During the consultation, we will call for much more support. This is not just our war, nor the Ukrainian war. This is the confrontation that Russia has spoken to the full free world," said Tusk.
Meanwhile, the situation in Poland will be discussed by the North Atlantic Council today. NATO's communication underlines that the situation is unprecedented. "This is the first case erstwhile NATO aircraft have taken action against possible threats in the airspace of the associate States of the Alliance," says the statement.
