Wars tend to escalate in one of two ways—by intention or by accident. In the moment, the difference is often blurry. On Wednesday, Poland shot down several Russian drones that had entered its territory in the eastern part of the country near its border with Ukraine and Belarus. These incursions come as Russia has launched some of its largest drone and missile strikes yet in its war on Ukraine. The aircraft may have strayed from their original flight paths in Ukraine, or they may signal a new and aggressive gambit by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Wasting no time, Poland asked to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which calls for consultations among allies. We activated our own call for consultation among Atlantic Council experts, who shared their insights on what happened and what to expect next.
Wars tend to escalate in one of two ways—by intention or by accident. In the moment, the difference is often blurry. On Wednesday, Poland shot down several Russian drones that had entered its territory in the eastern part of the country near its border with Ukraine and Belarus. These incursions come as Russia has launched some of its largest drone and missile strikes yet in its war on Ukraine. The aircraft may have strayed from their original flight paths in Ukraine, or they may signal a new and aggressive gambit by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Wasting no time, Poland asked to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which calls for consultations among allies. We activated our own call for consultation among Atlantic Council experts, who shared their insights on what happened and what to expect next.
Click to jump to an expert analysis:
Aaron Korewa: The Kremlin knew exactly what it was doing
Daniel Fried: Russia is trying to spread insecurity westward
Ian Brzezinski: Putin’s test requires a decisive NATO response
Marek Magierowski: For Poland, war is no longer “next door” in Ukraine
Oksana Nechyporenko: Ukrainians know firsthand the devastation Russian drones cause
Shelby Magid: NATO should work with Ukraine to counter Russia’s increasingly sophisticated drones
Piotr Arak: In response to the drones, Poland can flex its defense muscle
Daniel Tannebaum: The incursions underscore the urgency of additional US economic pressure
