This incident follows a recent event on September 10, when multiple drones from Russia entered Polish airspace, causing heightened security measures among NATO members. That night, at least 19 drones were detected, prompting Poland to call for consultations with its NATO allies under a treaty clause aimed at protecting the alliance’s territorial integrity.

In response, NATO launched a mission named “Eastern Sentry” to strengthen defences along its eastern borders. The NATO Secretary-General highlighted that such airspace violations are becoming more frequent, not only in Poland but also in neighbouring countries including Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Several NATO members, including Denmark, France, the U.K., and Germany, have committed resources like fighter jets, naval vessels, and air defence systems to support this mission.

Earlier this week, a Russian-made drone crashed in a field in eastern Poland, raising concerns about airspace security amid the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine.

“Due to the ongoing events in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict, and Poland’s role in logistically securing the transfer to Ukraine (…), the Netherlands has declared support for systems securing our airspace and air defence systems,” Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference, welcoming the Dutch decision.

The deployment is set to begin on December 1 and continue until June 1 of next year.

The drone, which came down on Tuesday night, landed in a cornfield in eastern Poland, damaging crops and shattering windows in nearby homes. The incident has heightened tensions as efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine intensify.

A prosecutor stated on Thursday that the drone most likely originated from the direction of Belarus, a close ally of Moscow that has supported Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.