Romanian president: Poland, NATO showed real-time readiness after Russian drone incursion

Romanian president Nicușor Dan said Wednesday, September 10, that Poland and NATO allies have proven they are prepared to respond swiftly after Polish forces downed Russian drones that entered the country's airspace, in what he described as an unprecedented incident, news agency Agerpres reported.

The incident marked the first time Russian drones have been downed over the territory of a NATO state since the start of the war in Ukraine. According to Politico, prime minister Donald Tusk told the parliament that Polish airspace had been breached 19 times. Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, and other aircraft responded and shot down at least four drones.

Speaking to public broadcaster TVR1, Nicușor Dan said, "The procedure was a classic one. Article 4 of the NATO treaty speaks about consultation. It was absolutely necessary for this to happen, and it did today, immediately after the incident. From Romania's perspective, it is clear that we must stand in solidarity with Poland, and I expressed this directly. I also took part in this consultation, which will continue. Poland and NATO countries have shown that they are prepared and capable of reacting in real time."

He further noted that, unlike previous incidents in Romania, where drones had fallen just across the border from Ukraine, the devices in Poland penetrated several dozen kilometers into its territory. "This hasn't happened before," he stressed.

Dan also assured Romanians that the country is equally prepared to act should it face a similar situation, pointing to NATO procedures and national legislation that clearly define the chain of command in case of an airspace violation.

"Romania is a NATO member state. We are prepared to apply these procedures with the proper equipment. There is no reason for concern," he said.

He also underlined that Parliament and the country's Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) have already established clear rules for intercepting hostile drones, ensuring rapid military intervention if necessary.

The Romanian president placed the incident in the broader context of the war in Ukraine, stressing that European states have acknowledged the need to boost their defense capabilities and balance the security partnership with the United States.

"It is not pleasant to spend national budget money on defense instead of education or healthcare. But it is the cost of security, and anything is better than war," Dan said.