Russia’s Drone Incursion over Poland Demands a Serious Response

The unprecedented has become routine in the skies over Ukraine. So, from the perspective of NATO-based observers, last night’s massive volley of Russian drones and rockets, the volume of which has increased steadily over the summer, looked a lot like the horrible new normal.

Then, as dawn approached in Eastern Europe, NATO air defense assets suddenly began acting erratically — taking to the skies in unusual numbers and racing toward the Polish frontier. Open-source intelligence analysts saw indications that Russian one-way attack drones were making their way toward Polish airspace, and not one or two errant platforms. Then, the information space went ominously dark. For nearly an hour, an eerie silence fell over military and public officials along the Atlantic Alliance’s border — a calm punctuated only by ominous reports that one Polish airport after another, including Warsaw’s two commercial hubs, were closing their airspace.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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The unprecedented has become routine in the skies over Ukraine. So, from the perspective of NATO-based observers, last night’s massive volley of Russian drones and rockets, the volume of which has increased steadily over the summer, looked a lot like the horrible new normal.

Then, as dawn approached in Eastern Europe, NATO air defense assets suddenly began acting erratically — taking to the skies in unusual numbers and racing toward the Polish frontier. Open-source intelligence analysts saw indications that Russian one-way attack drones were making their way toward Polish airspace, and not one or two errant platforms. Then, the information space went ominously dark. For nearly an hour, an eerie silence fell over military and public officials along the Atlantic Alliance’s border — a calm punctuated only by ominous reports that one Polish airport after another, including Warsaw’s two commercial hubs, were closing their airspace.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.