Russia's ambiguous response is subtle but importantpublished at 16:07 BST 10 September

16:07 BST 10 September

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

Moscow's response to claims that it sent drones to Poland has been ambiguous.

It stopped short of issuing an explicit denial, instead arguing that it had no plans to attack targets in Poland.

The difference is subtle but important, as it leaves open the possibility that Russia could have sent unarmed drones to Poland.

Moscow also stated that the range of its drones used against Ukraine last night did not exceed 700km (435 miles) - without specifying what it meant in the context of the Polish drone incursion.

Even if the claim is true - and there have been reports suggesting that Russian Shahed drones can fly distances of more than 1000km (612 miles) - it does not put eastern Poland out of range.

The gist of the Kremlin's messaging seems to be: "It may or may not have been us, but we definitely did not want to hit you with explosives. Not this time."

The Russian Foreign Ministry says Poland has been spreading “myths” about the drone incursion in order to "further escalate the Ukrainian crisis".

In a statement published on its website, the foreign ministry repeats that it had not planned to target territory in Poland.

"These concrete facts completely debunk the myths once again spread by Poland to further escalate the Ukrainian crisis," the ministry says.

It adds that Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte was "unable to answer the question on whether there was any evidence" of a planned attack.

Meanwhile, Polish minister Tomasz Siemoniak accused Russia of spreading disinformation about the drone incursion. He posted on X, external that Russia has launched a “massive disinformation campaign" and that it was "slandering Poland."

Poland has been fully supported by its Nato allies, who have independently condemned the drone incursion into Polish territory.

Sofiia Kohut and Yuriy Martynenko
BBC Monitoring Ukraine specialists

Image source, Reuters

Ukrainian commentators have few doubts that Russia deliberately targeted Poland with around 19 decoy drones, to see if there will be a response from Nato.

"This is not a military attack per se, rather a provocative attack. Another step on the escalation ladder. Putin is slicing salami and watching for reaction - first and foremost from Trump," blogger Roman Shrayk says.

Many commentators, like Ulyana Bakh, stress that the drones actually "attacked" Poland, and not that they just "entered" its airspace.

The Kremlin "is very much interested in destabilising Nato's eastern flank" and therefore directed drones at Poland right when the Zapad (West) 2025 military exercise is about to kick off in Belarus, political scientist Yevhen Mahda said.

The head of the government-run Centre for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, appealed to Western officials: "Either a show of force now - and not only through support for Ukraine - or a war for the Baltics in the future. There is no third option left."

Image source, EPA

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski says he is "sure" that Russian drones flying into Poland were "planned", after Nato and Polish aircraft shot down drones that entered its airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine.

Speaking to journalists, he says: "Russian drones have veered into Polish airspace before - not just drones but also cruise missiles."

"When one or two drones does it, it is possible it was a technical malfunction. But there were 19 breaches and it simply defies imagination that is was accidental."

He adds that the "mass use of drones is a threat to all of Nato" and "we need to create a drone wall", echoing earlier comments by EU President Ursula von der Leyen who also called for a drone wall.

Investigations continue on the ground in Poland, after the country said several Russian drones crossed into its territory last night.

Of these, the interior ministry said seven drones and remains of an unidentified object had been found across the country.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

A White House official tells the BBC that President Trump is tracking reports out of Poland today, and that there are plans for the US president to speak to his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, later today.

It is unclear what time that conversation - which will come just a week after Nawrocki was here at the White House - will take place.

At 16:30 BST/11:30 ET Trump is scheduled to receive his intelligence briefing, a highly sensitive event that takes place behind closed doors.

Today, that briefing will almost certainly include intense discussions of recent events in both Poland and Qatar.

In the evening, he'll host a dinner in the newly renovated Rose Garden Patio. While this event is also closed to press, in recent days similar events have opened to the White House press corps.

UK Defence Minister Healey goes on to say that 300 UK armed forces personnel are in Poland at the moment, and up until six weeks ago, the UK also had six RAF Typhoon jets over Poland, as part of Nato's air policing mission.

"We will do what we can as part of Nato, as part of a collective response that Poland has asked for from us, its Nato allies," says Healey.

He says: "It should be no surprise to anyone that the first reaction from the Kremlin is to deny any responsibility, to deny any intent behind it."

Healey adds that the events in Poland marked a "first of its kind into Nato airspace".

Healey says it is too early to assess whether Russia's attack was a deliberate attempt to test Nato air defences, with "no firm assessment of what lay behind the drone attacks".

Image source, PA Media

As we've been reporting, John Healey, the UK's defence minister, has hosted a meeting between defence officials of the European Group of Five (E5), and Ukrainian defence minister Denys Shmyhal in London.

French director general for international relations Alice Rufo says Russia's actions were “totally unacceptable”, after at least three Russian drones were shot down by Nato and Polish aircraft in Poland's airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine.

Polish policy director Marcin Kazmierski emphasises his country's need for solidarity not only through words, but in practical terms.

“We’d like to discuss this issue further, to be sure that we, as Nato are able to, in the future, respond to such threats in the best possible way,” he says.

Taking questions from journalists, Germany's Jens Plötner says Nato will discuss what it can do ”to strengthen even further” airspace defence both above Poland and along its eastern flank in general.

Asked what Germany might do to support Poland practically, he says it already has two patriot systems which are "fully integrated" into its airspace defence picture.

Matt Murphy
BBC Verify senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Three analysts contacted by BBC Verify have identified images of a largely intact drone in a field close to the eastern Polish village of Czosnówka as a Gerbera - a cheap multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) widely used by Russia as a decoy to distract air defence systems during large-scale attacks on Ukraine.

Polish officials said this morning that 19 Russian drones entered the country’s airspace overnight.

Justin Crump, CEO of the risk and intelligence company Sibylline, says the Gerbera is “a cheap way to increase the capability of other drones”.

He says that Moscow typically uses it in conjunction with Shahed/Geran-2 drones when launching attacks on Ukrainian troops and cities.

Meanwhile, Justin Bronk - an analyst with the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) think-tank - tells BBC Verify that the drones remained largely intact as they likely ran out of fuel having flown a significant distance rather than being shot down by Polish air defences or Nato jets.

Both analysts say that the scale of the incursion suggests it was almost certainly a deliberate act on Russia’s part.

Crump suggests that Moscow hoped to conduct “reconnaissance for weak points in Nato/Polish air defences” or to “generate intelligence” on how European powers would react to the breach of Polish airspace.

“The likely lack of warheads on these variants - which would otherwise appear exactly like more threatening and deadly attack drones - also allows Russia to play down the action and confuse our response,” Crump adds.

Germany's representative Jens Plötner says Russia's move was a "targeted provocation" against Poland and Nato "as a whole".

He says the E5 group won't be "provoked into hastened actions".

After today's meeting, Plötner says the countries are sending a message of unity in support for Ukraine.

He says the meeting is a "catalyst for new ideas and a motor of change".

We're hearing now from the UK's Defence Minister John Healey.

He says that following discussions today, he has asked the British armed forces to "look at options to bolster" Nato's air defence over Poland.

He says Russia reached a "new level of hostility" overnight and describes its actions as "reckless", "dangerous" and "unprecedented".

He also reaffirms the alliance's commitment to help protect Poland and "step up further for Ukraine".

"We see what Putin’s doing - yet again he’s testing us, yet again we will stand firm."

Defence ministers from the E5 group of nations – Italy, Germany, France, Poland and UK - are giving a press conference - we'll bring you updates shortly and you can watch live above.

The US ambassador to Nato, Matthew Whitaker, says Washington stands by its Nato allies after Russian "violations" of Polish airspace last night.

Posting on social media, external, Whitaker says the US "will defend every inch of NATO territory."

"We stand by our Nato allies in the face of these airspace violations," he says.

We've just received a statement from the Polish ministry of defence.

It says that during the Russian attack on Ukraine on Tuesday night, "Polish airspace was repeatedly violated by drones, which posed a direct threat".

The ministry says that in order to ensure the security of Polish airspace, the commander of the Polish army "activated all necessary procedures" and the drones were shot down "pre-emptively".

The statement adds that the Polish Air Force has been "regularly engaged in missions to secure Polish airspace" during the ongoing Russian air strikes in Ukraine.

The incident on Tuesday night is "unprecedented" in the recent history of Poland and the North Atlantic Alliance, it says.

It adds that analysis of the objects and system data is under way and details of the report will be announced at a later date.

No outright denial from Moscow, but an offer to discuss it with Warsawpublished at 13:48 BST 10 September

13:48 BST 10 September

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

The Kremlin said earlier that it would be a matter for the Russian defence ministry to comment on what happened in Poland.

Now it has.

In a statement, Russia’s military says that last night it carried out “a mass strike” on military-industrial targets in Western Ukraine, including with attack drones.

It goes on to insist that “there had been no plans to target facilities on the territory of Poland".

“The maximum range of the Russian drones that allegedly crossed into Poland does not exceed 700 km,” the statement continues.

“Nevertheless, we are ready to hold consultations with the Polish defence ministry on this subject.”

“No plans to…” isn’t quite the same as “didn’t…”

So, no outright denial from Moscow. But an offer to discuss the matter further with Warsaw.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

Russia's defence ministry says it did not plan to attack any targets in Poland, after Warsaw said 19 Russian drones entered its airspace during overnight attacks on western Ukraine.

In a daily update on strikes against Ukraine, it says: "No objects on Polish territory were planned to be targeted.

"The maximum range of UAVs used in the strike [on Ukraine] does not exceed 700 km [435 miles].

"Nonetheless, we are ready to hold consultations with the Polish defence ministry on the subject."

Judging by last night, Poland's success rate is much lower than Ukraine'spublished at 13:13 BST 10 September

13:13 BST 10 September

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

If Poland managed to shoot down only four out of 19 (or two dozen, according to President Zelensky) drones that crossed into its airspace, that's a much lower success rate than demonstrated by Ukraine.

Ukraine has consistently intercepted the vast majority of drones sent by Russia over the past years - for instance, 386 out of 415 (or 93%) this morning.

• Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said Poland is at its "closest to open conflict since World War Two”
• He earlier said that between three and four of 19 drones that crossed into Polish territory were shot down by Polish and Nato aircraft
• Poland's interior ministry later said seven drones and the remains of an unidentified object had been found across Poland
• One drone was found in Lodz province, over 240 km (149 miles) west of the border with Belarus, from where the drones were launched
• The drones that entered Poland were part of the latest major aerial attack on Ukraine, where Russia launched 415 drones overnight
• European leaders have been widely condemnatory. Nato chief Mark Rutte called Russia’s violation of Polish airspace “reckless behaviour”, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was another “step of escalation”

• The Kremlin said it wouldn’t comment, after a Russian diplomat in Poland rejected claims of drones in Polish airspace, according to state media

Images are reaching us now of Polish officials at work after authorities reported having found seven drones and the remains of an unidentified object in sites across the country.

The public is being urged not to approach any wreckage they come across and report it to emergency services.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Russia's violation of Poland's airspace is "reckless behaviour", irrespective of whether it was deliberate, says Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte.

In a statement, Rutte says Nato allies have expressed full solidarity with Poland. He adds that a full assessment is ongoing.

Several Nato allies were involved in shooting down the Russian drones, says Rutte, including the Netherlands, Italy, Poland and Germany.