Warsaw, Sept 23, (dpa/GNA) – Poland will respond resolutely to further violations of its airspace, including the possible downing of aircraft that enter its territory and pose a threat, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.
The government was ready to take such a decision in extreme cases, Tusk told a press conference in Sierakowice in the north of the country, according to Polish media reports.
The situation was less clear-cut in other scenarios, he said, when it is necessary to proceed with caution and think twice before making a decision that could lead to a serious escalation.
The prime minister cited Friday’s incident, in which two Russian fighter jets approached a Polish drilling platform in the Baltic Sea at low altitude, without violating the Polish border.
Tusk also emphasized the role of allies. Poland must be sure that they would treat the incident in the same way, and that Warsaw would not be left alone in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
Recent airspace violations by Russia have unsettled NATO allies in Europe, with repeated talk of provocations by Moscow.
According to Estonia, three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes on Friday. Russia rejected this version of events.
The week before, Polish and NATO forces shot down Russian military drones for the first time, after some 19 drones entered Polish airspace during an airstrike on Ukraine.
According to Tusk, fragments of 18 drones have been found in several areas in the east and centre of Poland. None of them has been classified as armed or dangerous so far.
However, the search for debris and its examination is not yet complete, he said.
GNA