Kyiv extends a helping hand to Poland. Ukraine has offered Warsaw the necessary assistance in countering Russian drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.

The attack occurred just as Western leaders, including the US, continue working on security guarantees for Ukraine, aimed at protecting the country from Russian strikes, including drone attacks.

Ukraine without modern aviation — but with results

Ukraine does not possess modern fighter jets, yet during the same time frame, it managed to shoot down 380 out of 415 drones launched by Russia.

The question remains: how to force Russia to end the war against Ukraine and stop attacking NATO countries?

“No one can guarantee that there won’t be hundreds of drones if there are already dozens. Only joint European forces can provide real protection. We are ready to help with technology, crew training, and the necessary intelligence,” Zelenskyy stressed.

Dangerous “Zapad-2025” drills

According to Zelenskyy, joint Russian-Belarusian exercises “Zapad-2025” have begun on Belarusian territory, and the attack on Poland may be part of this training scenario.

The program of the drills reportedly includes a rehearsal of an attack on Poland and even the simulation of a nuclear strike.

Despite the attack on a NATO member state, US President Donald Trump did not announce any new sanctions against Moscow or present a clear plan to counter Russia.

“Unfortunately, as of now, Russia has not received a tough response from global leaders to what it is doing,” Zelenskyy said.

According to him, with this attack, Russia is testing the limits of what is possible and probing the West’s reaction.

“They are recording how NATO armed forces act, what they can do and what they cannot do yet,” the Ukrainian president added.

Kyiv warned Poland about the Russian drone threat before the attack occurred. On the night of 10 September, nearly two dozen Russian drones may have entered Polish airspace, although this figure is not final, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

This incident marked the first time since Russian drones massively violated the territory of a NATO member state and prompted the country to down them with strategic aviation. 

“Ukrainian forces informed the Polish side through the appropriate channels about the movement of Russian drones. Around 00:50 Kyiv time, the first crossing of the Ukrainian-Polish border by a Russian drone was recorded,” the Ukrainian president noted.

At least two drones that entered Poland used Belarusian airspace. Meanwhile, dozens of other drones moved along the Ukraine-Belarus border and in western regions of Ukraine, approaching Ukrainian and potentially Polish targets.

Ukrainian air defenses in action

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian defenders destroyed more than 380 Russian drones of various types, including at least 250 Shaheds.

“The number of Russian drones that crossed into Polish territory and penetrated deeply may be higher than previously reported. We are checking,” the Ukrainian president said. 

Ukrainian forces continue to analyze debris to clarify drone types. The president stressed that only joint and coordinated action with allies can ensure reliable airspace protection.

NATO and regional security

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied involvement in the attack.

The incident prompted Poland to appeal to NATO, which activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This allows consultations regarding threats to territorial integrity and security, but does not automatically trigger a military response as Article 5 does. Polish F-16s and F-35s were scrambled to intercept drones, though most threats were neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses.

The attack happened in the midst of discussions by European and American allies on security guarantees for Ukraine. 

Intelligence insights

Joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises, “Zapad-2025,” are currently underway in Belarus, with the active phase planned for 12–16 September. During these exercises, scenarios include simulated attacks on Poland and nuclear weapons deployment, UkrInform reports. 

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, stated that the active phase will involve serious information pressure, accompanied by staged leaks and information provocations.

The Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin’s summit has strengthened the Russian dictator. The meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska only bolstered the Kremlin’s position and prolonged the war in Ukraine, Foreign Affairs reports. 

Since Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine in 2014, which altered the world order by forcibly changing the borders of a sovereign country, Putin has played the long game. The Alaska summit gave him even more time and strengthened his position to achieve a military victory in a war of attrition against Ukraine.

The summit was never about peace in Ukraine

Its real purpose was to bend the international system to Moscow’s will and maintain a monopoly on power domestically.

Putin emerged victorious in Alaska

Putin has faced little opposition to the Alaska visit. A Russian Levada Center survey showed that 79% of Russians considered the summit a success for Putin, and 51% were more optimistic about improved relations with the US.

“After the summit, Russian media did not have to put out false pronouncements to highlight Putin’s diplomatic triumph,” the report says. 

Legitimizing aggression against Ukraine

The summit allowed Putin to legitimize Moscow’s claims. Russians who doubted the war’s purpose now had grounds to consider the invasion “just.”

During the Anchorage meeting, the dictator emphasized Russia’s “legitimate concerns,” its pursuit of a “fair security balance in Europe and the world,” and the need to “remove all root causes” of the war in Ukraine.

Trump did not refute any claims, effectively agreeing with Putin’s position on Moscow’s right to influence Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Western security guarantees.

“Putin flew home having demonstrated to his subjects that he was right all along, that they must not waver, and that he will win for them,” the report concludes. 

“Do not repeat the mistakes of World War II.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called on international allies to act decisively and resist Russian aggression.

Remembering the lessons of history

Sybiha recalled that on 1 September 1939, Hitler attacked Poland, soon joined by Stalin, initiating the bloodiest war in history.

“Today it is extremely important to remember what led to that day: weakness and naive faith that territorial concessions would ‘appease’ the aggressor,” the Ukrainian foreign minister noted.

Responsibility for the World War II disaster

The minister emphasized that the Nazi Third Reich bears full responsibility for the war, but there were also those who “allowed this evil to grow stronger—avoiding difficult decisions and favoring weakness over strength.”

According to Sybiha, the best way to honor the memory of tens of millions of victims is not to repeat the same mistakes today.

Allies’ unity and support for Ukraine

Sybiga stressed that the unity of allies, pressure on the Russian aggressor, and consistent support for Ukraine are critically important for Europe’s security and long-term peace.

“Strength and determination today are the guarantee of future security and peace in Europe,” he added.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump proposed that Ukraine consider territorial concessions to Russia as part of ending the war. His proposal involved Ukraine relinquishing control over Donetsk Oblast to Russia, in exchange for Russia agreeing to freeze the front lines and halt further advances. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly rejected any proposal to cede Ukrainian land to Russia. He emphasized Ukraine’s sovereignty and constitutional prohibition on surrendering territory to the occupier.