Poland convened its NATO allies for emergency talks on Wednesday after Russian drones entered its airspace overnight, an incident Prime Minister Donald Tusk denounced as a “large-scale provocation.”

Warsaw reported 19 violations and said at least three drones were shot down after Polish and allied aircraft scrambled in response. While no casualties were recorded, authorities confirmed damage to a house and a car. Debris from seven drones and an unidentified projectile was also recovered.

“This was an unprecedented act of aggression,” Poland’s military command said, describing the incursion as a direct threat to the country’s security.

It marked the first time a NATO state has shot down Russian drones during the war in Ukraine. The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s main decision-making body, adjusted its weekly meeting format to hold it under Article 4 with the alliance clause allowing urgent consultations when a member feels its security is at risk. It is only the eighth time in NATO’s history that Article 4 has been invoked.

Tusk said the move underscored Poland’s determination to defend its territory.

“We do not trust Vladimir Putin’s good intentions,” President Karol Nawrocki added on Tuesday, warning that Moscow could move against other countries.

Russia’s ambassador in Warsaw, Andrei Ordash, was summoned to the foreign ministry. He told state media that Poland had yet to present evidence linking the downed drones to Moscow. A senior NATO diplomat suggested the incident may have been an attempt to test the alliance or reroute attacks on Ukrainian targets.

The breach came as Russia launched a new wave of strikes across Ukraine, including on Lviv, just 80 kilometres from the Polish border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the drone incursion a “dangerous precedent” and an attempt to “humiliate” Poland, urging Western partners to respond firmly.

In Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incursion highlighted the need for a harder line on Moscow. Delivering her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament, she declared Europe’s “full solidarity with Poland” and accused the Kremlin of escalating recklessly.

“Just today we have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland’s and Europe’s air space by more than 10 Russian drones. Putin’s message is clear. And our response must be clear too,” she told lawmakers.

Von der Leyen urged more sanctions, announcing work on a 19th package targeting Russian fossil fuels, its “shadow fleet,” and supportive third countries. She also pressed for more aid to Ukraine, reminding members that the EU has already committed close to €170 billion in military and financial support.

“This war needs to end with a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” she said. “Because Ukraine’s freedom is Europe’s freedom.”