On the 10th, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that, regarding Poland's so-called drone border-crossing incident, the ministry is willing to join the possible consultations between the two countries’ defense ministries.
The statement pointed out that the Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed there are no Russian targets for strikes within Polish territory. The drones, allegedly entering Polish territory and used by Russia during strikes on Ukraine that day, have a maximum flight range of no more than 700 kilometers. The facts released by the Russian Defense Ministry refute once again the rumors spread by Poland aimed at aggravating the Ukraine crisis.
The statement said that although the Polish side’s accusations are obviously self-contradictory, in order to fully clarify the facts for all parties wishing to prevent further escalation of the situation, the Russian Defense Ministry has expressed its willingness to hold consultations on this matter with the Polish Defense Ministry, and the Russian Foreign Ministry is also willing to make a contribution.
The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that when the North Atlantic Council held a meeting at Poland’s request concerning Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO Secretary General Rutte failed to answer questions about the existence of any "evidence," stating instead that “the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.”
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty stipulates that when any contracting party considers its territorial integrity, political independence or security to be threatened, all contracting parties shall consult together.
On the night of the 9th local time, a large number of drones entered Polish airspace. The Polish military urgently deployed its own and NATO air defense systems, shot down part of the drones, and closed the related airspace and multiple airports.
On the 10th, the Polish government held a special meeting at which Prime Minister Tusk stated: “Last night, Polish airspace was invaded by a large number of Russian drones. We shot down those that posed a direct threat. We are very likely facing a large-scale provocation, as this is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over the territory of a NATO country.”