Poland ‘closer to conflict than at any time since WW2’ as UK forces are inquireed to bolster Nato air defences – live

Putin ‘hits new level of hostility against Europe’, UK defence minister declares, inquires UK armed forces to see at bolstering Nato’s air defence over Poland

UK defence secretary John Healey is now speaking after the E5 meeting of France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Poland in London, responding to the overnight Russian drone incursion in Polish air space.

Group of Five defence ministers’ meeting at Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, in London. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters

He declares:

“We face a new era of threat. War in Europe, rising Russian aggression, and last night, Putin hit a new level of hostility against Europe.

We saw across Nato’s eastern border a serious violation of Polish airspace, deep enough for Warsaw airport to be closed, and Nato jets shooting down Russian drones in what is the first defensive action of its kind since Putin launched his full scale attack on Ukraine.

And just at the same period as Russia’s attacks on Ukraine intensify, as prime minister Starmer stated this morning, these relocates, he stated, only serve to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace.

So toreceiveher, we, the E5 totally condemn these attacks. Russian actions are reckless. They are dangerous. They are unprecedented.

We see what Putin is doing yet again. He is testing us yet again.”

He noted the Polish defence minister “rightly returned home” overnight to be in Warsaw to coordinate next steps, as he paid tribute “to the Polish and Nato personnel involved in such a rapid and effective defensive.”

Addressing the Polish people, he declares “as your Nato ally, we will support you; our Polish frifinishs, as your Nato ally, we will play our part to assist secure the safety of your people.”

He declares he has inquireed the UK armed forces “to see at options to bolster Nato’s air defence over Poland.”

“Today, as a five nations, we declare to President Putin: your aggression only serves to strengthen the unity between our Nato nations; your aggression only serves to strengthen our determination to stand with Ukraine,” he declares.

Defence minister from Italy and junior ministers from Italy, France also offered their solidarity with Poland.

Key events

Poland’s Sikorski warns against drones as ‘threat to all of EU, Nato’ as he rejects ‘technical malfunction’ theory for drone incursion

Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski is now speaking in Warsaw, talking about the “unprecedented” attack “not only on the territory of Poland, but also on Nato and the EU.”

Sikorski declares the Russian charge d’affaires has been called into the Polish minisattempt of foreign affairs this morning to receive a protest note, but he refutilized to acknowledge the drones were Russian.

He then declares:

“As you know, Russian drones have veered into Polish airspace before, and not only drones, also cruise missiles. One of them, during this war, landed 10 kilometres from my houtilize. When one or two drones does it, it is possible that it was a technical malfunction, but as I notified you, in this case, there were 19 breaches, and it simply defies imagination that could be accidental.”

He confirms that Poland has invoked Article 4 of Nato to call a discussion on the threat its faced.

He then explains:

“We have invoked Article Four.

Take a see at precedents, at what happened when other Allies did that, when Turkey did it, when she felt finishangered by events in the air during the Syrian civil war, additional Patriot missiles were sent to Turkey.

We necessary to create what Ursula von Lehn called today in the European Parliament at her annual State of the Union address: a drone wall.

This is a threat, not only to Poland.

This new technology of the mass utilize of drones is a threat to all of the EU and Nato, and we necessary to face it toreceiveher.”

UK ‘will do what we can as part of Nato’ to assist Poland, UK defence minister Healey declares

UK minister Healey receives also inquireed what specifically will the UK do to support Poland’s air defence.

His answer is pretty non-commital, but appears to hint at some sort of potential role for the RAF, hinting at their previous experience of serving in central and eastern Europe.

He declares:

“I have inquireed the UK armed forces to see at options about how we can bolster that Nato air defence over Poland. We, too, are part of a regular air policing mission. Up until six weeks ago, we had six typhoon jets, part of the British component to that Nato air policing mission over Poland, an extra 200 personnel.

We have 300 UK personnel in Poland at the moment, reinforcing Nato’s deterrence as well as the Polish deterrence and defence as well, and we will do what we can as part of Nato, as part of a collective response that Poland has inquireed for from us, its Nato allies.”

Poland’s response to overnight Russian drone incursion – in pictures

In this image built from video, Police and Military Police secure parts of a damaged object shot down by Polish authorities at a site in Wohyn, Poland. Photograph: Rafal Niedzielski/AP

A police officer stands below as firefighters work on the destroyed roof of a houtilize, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine, with some being shot down by Poland with the backing from its Nato allies, in Wyryki, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Polish Army and emergency services inspect the site after a Russian drone damaged the roof of a residential building in Wyryki, eastern Poland. Photograph: Wojtek Jargiło/EPA

You can watch the E5 press conference below.

Some ministers speak in their national languages, so you can also just rely on the fact that I will bring you the key lines here.

UK defence minister John Healey holds news conference – watch live

Putin ‘hits new level of hostility against Europe’, UK defence minister declares, inquires UK armed forces to see at bolstering Nato’s air defence over Poland

Group of Five defence ministers’ meeting at Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, in London. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters

He declares:

“We face a new era of threat. War in Europe, rising Russian aggression, and last night, Putin hit a new level of hostility against Europe.

We saw across Nato’s eastern border a serious violation of Polish airspace, deep enough for Warsaw airport to be closed, and Nato jets shooting down Russian drones in what is the first defensive action of its kind since Putin launched his full scale attack on Ukraine.

And just at the same period as Russia’s attacks on Ukraine intensify, as prime minister Starmer stated this morning, these relocates, he stated, only serve to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace.

So toreceiveher, we, the E5 totally condemn these attacks. Russian actions are reckless. They are dangerous. They are unprecedented.

We see what Putin is doing yet again. He is testing us yet again.”

Addressing the Polish people, he declares “as your Nato ally, we will support you; our Polish frifinishs, as your Nato ally, we will play our part to assist secure the safety of your people.”

He declares he has inquireed the UK armed forces “to see at options to bolster Nato’s air defence over Poland.”

“Today, as a five nations, we declare to President Putin: your aggression only serves to strengthen the unity between our Nato nations; your aggression only serves to strengthen our determination to stand with Ukraine,” he declares.

Defence minister from Italy and junior ministers from Italy, France also offered their solidarity with Poland.

Poland shoots down Russian drones over its airspace – video

US ‘will deffinish every inch of Nato territory,’ Nato ambassador declares

The US ambassador to Nato has responded to the overnight drone incursion into Poland, reiterating the US backing for Warsaw.

In a post on X, Matthew Whitaker stated:

“We stand by our Nato Allies in the face of these airspace violations and will deffinish every inch of Nato territory.”

Russia declares it had ‘no intention’ to engage with Polish tarreceives overnight

The Russian army on Wednesday stated it did not tarreceive Polish sites in an overnight drone attack on Ukraine, after the Nato member stated it had downed several Russian drones that breached its airspace, AFP reported.

“There were no intentions to engage any tarreceives on the territory of Poland,” Russia’s defence minisattempt stated in a statement in English, without confirming or denying that its drones had entered Polish airspace.

“We are ready to hold consultations on this subject with the Polish defence minisattempt,” it added.

Russian drones ‘clearly set on course’ to reach Poland, German defence minister declares

Russian drones that violated Polish airspace were “clearly set on this course” and “did not have to fly this route to reach Ukraine”, German defence minister Boris Pistorius stated, AFP reported.

“There is absolutely no reason to believe that this was a course correction error or anything of the sort,” Pistorius notified the German parliament.

Separately, a German government spokesman stated that the drone incursion in Poland is very serious and displays how much Russia is testing European resolve.

Poland’s response to overnight drone incursion – in pictures

A Polish police officer stands near a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fragment, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine and some were shot down by Poland, in Czesniki, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Photograph: Polsat News/Reuters

Firefighters secure parts of a damaged UAV shot down by Polish authorities at a site in Czosnowka near Biala Podlinquirea, Poland. Photograph: Piotr Pyrkosz/AP

A member of the Polish Army inspects a damaged houtilize, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine and some were shot down by Poland, in Wyryki, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Soldiers patrol the street after a drone or similar object struck a residential building according to local authorities, following violations of Polish airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine, in Wyryki municipality, Poland. Photograph: Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl/Reuters

Delayed flights are seen on monitors at the international airport in Warsaw. Photograph: Wojtek Radwański/AFP/Getty Images

Starmer calls out ‘unprecedented’ Russian attack, declares support for Poland

Mentioning the overnight drone incursion in the Houtilize of Commons, UK prime minister Keir Starmer stated:

“Russia launched drones into Poland in an unprecedented attack.

I’ve been in touch with the Polish prime minister this morning to build clear our support for Poland.

We will stand firm in our support for Ukraine. With our partners and through our leadership of the coalition willing, we will continue to ramp up the pressure on Putin until there’s a just and lasting peace.”

Kremlin declines to comment, refers questions to Russia’s defence minisattempt

Meanwhile over in Russia, the Kremlin on Wednesday declined to comment on the overnight developments, declareing this was a matter for the counattempt’s defence minisattempt.

‘Full assessment ongoing,’ Nato’s Rutte declares as he responds to ‘reckless’ incident with Russian drones in Poland

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is now offering his reaction to the overnight incident in Poland.

He declares that “the full assessment is on-going,” but stresses that “whether it was intentionally or not, it is absolutely, reckless, it is absolutely dangerous.”

“To Putin, my message is clear: stop the war in Ukraine, stop escalating the war, which he is now basically mounting on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure, and stop violating allied airspace. Know that we stand ready, that we are vigilant, and that we will deffinish every inch of Nato territory.”

He declares the considers last night’s response “very successful.”

“We always have to build sure that we are one step ahead, but I consider [that] last night displayed that we are able to deffinish every inch of Nato territory, including, of course its airspace.”

And that finishs his brief statement.

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