Skip next section UN warns of ‘real risk’ of Ukraine conflict spreading after drone incident
09/10/2025September 10, 2025UN warns of ‘real risk’ of Ukraine conflict spreading after drone incident
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a “real risk” that the war in Ukraine could spread beyond its borders after Russian drones entered Polish airspace.
“The incident, which reportedly took place during another large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine, again underlines the regional impact and real risk of expansion of this devastating conflict,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He added that Guterres is deeply concerned about reports that Russian military drones entered Polish airspace overnight and damaged residential areas.
https://p.dw.com/p/50J0i
Skip next section PM Tusk says Poland received offers of support for its air defense
09/10/2025September 10, 2025PM Tusk says Poland received offers of support for its air defense
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland has received offers of support for its air defense from its European allies after talking to the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and NATO.
“In my conversations today… I received not only expressions of solidarity with Poland but also proposals for concrete support for our country’s air defense,” Tusk wrote on X after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones in its airspace on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that he offered Poland assistance, training, and expertise in shooting down Russian drones.
“We need to work on a joint system of air defence and create an effective air shield over Europe,” the Ukrainian leader wrote.
https://p.dw.com/p/50IxX
Skip next section WATCH: E5 defense officials condemn ‘Russian drones’ in Poland
09/10/2025September 10, 2025WATCH: E5 defense officials condemn ‘Russian drones’ in Poland
UK Defense Secretary John Healey held pre-arranged talks with the so-called E5, defense officials from Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine.
“Together, we the E5 totally condemn these attacks,” Healey said.
Russian drones unite Europe behind Ukraine
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https://p.dw.com/p/50Ikw
Skip next section Zelenskyy discusses sanctions against Russia with von der Leyen
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Zelenskyy discusses sanctions against Russia with von der Leyen
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen telephonically discussed collaborating with the US to strengthen sanctions against Russia.
“Ursula informed me about the joint work with American partners on strengthening sanctions against Russia,” he wrote on X.
The Ukrainian leader thanked von der Leyen for her strong State of the Union address and for her clear message regarding the allocation of €6 billion ($7 billion) for Ukraine’s drone production.
Zelenskyy mentioned that they also discussed the use of frozen Russian assets and support for Ukrainian children, among other things.
https://p.dw.com/p/50IhF
Skip next section Germany overtakes US in military support for Ukraine, says Pistorius
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Germany overtakes US in military support for Ukraine, says Pistorius
According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Germany has become Ukraine’s biggest supplier of military aid and is now sending more weapons than the United States.
Germany is “now the largest supporter” of Ukraine, Pistorius said in parliament, noting that a total of approximately €9 billion ($10.5 billion) has been allocated for this purpose in the budget.
Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, European allies have supplied massive amounts of military aid. However, the United States has been by far the largest backer.
This changed in January when Donald Trump returned to the White House, and Washington significantly shifted its approach. Trump temporarily suspended military deliveries and intelligence sharing with Kyiv after an unprecedented public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Pistorius noted that the US has begun providing Ukraine with weapons through NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List (PURL) initiative. While the US procures the weapons, other allies fund them.
Germany to help Ukraine with long-range missiles
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https://p.dw.com/p/50IKY
Skip next section WATCH: Poland takes action after Russian drones entered its airspace09/10/2025September 10, 2025WATCH: Poland takes action after Russian drones entered its airspace
Thomas Anderson
Poland says it shot down Russian drones that it says repeatedly violated its airspace during an attack on Ukraine. Polish and Dutch fighter jets stationed in Poland intercepted the drones. Warsaw has convened NATO allies to discuss the incursion.
Poland shoots down Russian drones in its airspace
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https://p.dw.com/p/50IVY
Skip next section Merz condemns ‘reckless’ Russian drone incursion into Poland
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Merz condemns ‘reckless’ Russian drone incursion into Poland
Russia drones ‘endangered lives’ Merz said after the incident in PolandImage: Markus Schreiber/AP Photo/picture alliance
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the Russian drone incursion into Poland as a “reckless” and “aggressive” act.
“Russia has endangered human lives in a state that is a member of NATO and the EU,” Merz said in a statement released by a German government spokesperson.
“This reckless action is part of a long chain of provocations in the Baltic Sea region and on NATO’s eastern flank. The German government condemns this aggressive Russian action in the strongest possible terms,” the statemend said.
“NATO is and remains ready to defend itself,” Merz emphasized.
https://p.dw.com/p/50IRu
Skip next section Russian drones violated NATO airspace before
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Russian drones violated NATO airspace before
Wednesday’s violation of Poland‘s airspace by Russia with drones is the most significant cross-border incident involving a NATO member since the war in Ukraine began. However, other NATO countries have reported similar incursions and drone crashes on their territory.
Russian drones and missiles have crossed into the airspace of NATO members Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania several times.
Just last month, Warsaw reported that a Russian military drone entered its airspace and exploded in a field in eastern Poland. The country labeled the incident a “provocation.”
In July, two Gerbera drones, which are unmanned military aircraft built and used by Russia against Ukraine, flew into Lithuania from Belarus and crashed, one of them carried explosives.
In September 2024, a Russian Shahed-type strike drone crashed in Latvia, which is another Baltic country and a member of NATO and the European Union.
Romania found several drone crash sites on its territory in 2023, including one that caused a crater near a village across the Danube River from the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
Since 2023, there have been numerous reports of airspace incursions and discoveries of drone fragments in Romania and neighboring Moldova, which is not a NATO member.
https://p.dw.com/p/50I8T
Skip next section Polish foreign minister says drones flying into Poland not accident
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Polish foreign minister says drones flying into Poland not accident
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that Poland has no doubt that the drones that flew into its territory were not an accident. He was commenting on Russian drones that entered its airspace overnight during the Russian attack in western Ukraine.
“We have no doubt that this was not an accidental event… We are dealing with an unprecedented case of an attack not only on Poland’s territory but also on the territory of NATO and the European Union,” Sikorski told reporters.
Sikorski added that the mass use of drones threatens all of NATO and that Prime Minister Donald Tusk has asked NATO allies to provide Poland with stronger air defense.
https://p.dw.com/p/50IIo
Skip next section German government approves new rules to protect critical infrastructure
09/10/2025September 10, 2025German government approves new rules to protect critical infrastructure
The new rules, which were approved by the German government on Wednesday, legally require operators of critical infrastructure in Germany to protect their facilities and networks.
According to the law, any infrastructure that provides services to at least 500,000 people is considered critical.
The measures respond to the significant deterioration of the security environment since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the growing awareness of Europe’s vulnerability to natural disasters, sabotage, and terrorist attacks on infrastructure
The KRITIS law implements a European Union directive that obligates companies in sectors such as energy, transportation, finance, health, and water to secure their installations.
This could entail constructing barbed-wire fences around power stations or installing security cameras and motion detectors. Companies must also prepare and register inventories of vulnerable infrastructure.
At a minimum, German companies should assess their risk exposure, develop resilience plans, and report significant outages to the authorities, who can penalize entities that fail to comply with the regulations.
https://p.dw.com/p/50IFj
Skip next section Russia drones over Poland ‘a red alert,’ Polish MEP tells DW 09/10/2025September 10, 2025Russia drones over Poland ‘a red alert,’ Polish MEP tells DW
“This is a red alert sent to all of us in Europe, not only the eastern flank,” said Polish MEP Michał Kobosko to me in the corridors outside the main chamber of the European Parliament.
The drone attack by Russia on EU member state Poland has dominated the discussions in the coffee bars and canteens of the house here in Strasbourg.
Kobosko said many of his fellow members had come to speak to him in the morning to express their solidarity, but also their horror, about what the drone strike means for Europe.
The great and good of EU politics are here for the annual “State of the European Union” speech by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, but the main concern is not her messages, but rather whether Russia’s actions will draw Europe into a direct war with its eastern neighbor.
Poland is often accused for being alarmist about the Russian threat, but Italian MEP Brando Benefei says they must be listened to now.
“We should not underestimate and not take a light approach,” Benefei told me as he raced between meetings in Strasbourg. “In terms of the threats that come from Russia — they are real.”
The key issue for most of the lawmakers I’ve been talking to here is whether the response from the White House will be as strong they hope for. Poland is traditionally a strong ally of the US and has held good relations with the Trump administration.
https://p.dw.com/p/50I79
Skip next section Russia denies it planned to hit any targets in Poland
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Russia denies it planned to hit any targets in Poland
Russia‘s Defense Ministry said its targeted military facilities in western Ukraine, but did not plan to hit any targets in Poland.
The ministry claimed that its forces had accomplished all their objectives in the attack. It also noted that the Russian drones “which allegedly crossed the border with Poland” had an operational range of no more than 700 km (434 miles).
“Nevertheless, we are prepared to hold consultations with the Polish Defense Ministry on this topic,” the Russian military said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine‘s Air Force reported that Russia launched 415 strike and decoy drones, 42 cruise missiles, and one ballistic missile overnight.
According to the report, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 386 drones and 27 cruise missiles.
https://p.dw.com/p/50HyP
Skip next section Germany backs Poland’s Article 4 move after drone incident
09/10/2025September 10, 2025Germany backs Poland’s Article 4 move after drone incident
Germany has said it supports Poland in invoking Article 4 of NATO’s treaty after Russian drones violated Polish airspace.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the Bundestag the drones were “clearly armed” and stressed the seriousness of the incident.
Meanwhile, German government spokesman Sebastian Hille said Moscow was “testing” Ukraine’s allies.
The violation “once again shows the threat that we face and how much Germany and other NATO countries are being tested by Russia,” he told reporters.
https://p.dw.com/p/50Hlw
Skip next section NATO condemns Russian drones in Poland as ‘reckless’
09/10/2025September 10, 2025NATO condemns Russian drones in Poland as ‘reckless’
NATO chief Mark Rutte has denounced Russia’s “reckless behaviour” after drones violated Polish airspace, and said the alliance’s response “very successful.”
“A full assessment is ongoing. But of course, whether it was intentional or not, it is absolutely reckless, it is absolutely dangerous,” Rutte said after talks among NATO members.
He said his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin was clear: “Stop violating allied airspace, and know that we stand ready, that we are vigilant, and that we will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
https://p.dw.com/p/50HRp