Poland said on Wednesday multiple Russian drones entered its territory and were shot down with help from Nato allies, describing the incursion as an “act of aggression”. Russia’s Defence Ministry did not target Poland, but its close ally, Belarus, said it tracked some drones that “lost their course” because they were jammed. However, European leaders said they believe the incursion amounted to an intentional escalation by Russia of its war on Ukraine.

Poland said some drones came from Belarus, where Russian and Belarusian troops have begun gathering for war games starting Friday.

A Nato spokesman said it was the first time the alliance had confronted a potential threat in its airspace.

Nato met to discuss the incident. “Russia’s war is escalating, not ending,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. 

“Last night in Poland, we saw the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental.”

The extent of the incursion was still becoming clear. Polish PM Donald Tusk told parliament 19 violations were recorded over seven hours, but that information was still being gathered. Eight crash sites have been found, a government spokesperson said. 

Dutch fighter jets came to Poland’s aid and intercepted some drones, the Netherlands’ defence minister said. “This is an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens,” the Polish military’s operational command said on social media. French President Emmanuel Macron called on Russia to put an end to “this reckless escalation”, while Czech PM Petr Fiala called the violation “a test of Nato countries’ defence capabilities.”

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its overnight strikes targeted military-industrial complex in west Ukrainian regions, with no planned targets on Polish territory. “We are ready to hold consultations with the Polish Ministry of Defence on the issue,” it said. Bernard Blaszczuk, mayor of the village of Wyryki in Lublin, said a house was hit. The roof (pic) was ripped off. People were inside, but nobody was hurt. Poland closed part of its airspace for hours, and Warsaw’s Chopin Airport suspended flights. 

“Russia is deliberately expanding its aggression, posing an ever-growing threat to Europe,” President Gitanas Nauseda of Baltic state of Lithuania wrote on X. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it an “extremely dangerous precedent for Europe” and called for Russia to “feel the consequences.”“Moscow always tests the limits of what is possible and, if it does not encounter a strong response, remains at a new level of escalation,” he said. “Not just one Shahed (drone), which could be dismissed as an accident, but at least eight attack drones that were aimed in the direction of Poland.”