explainer

Poland is invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty after a number of Russian drones entered its airspace and were shot down Tuesday evening.

Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes and NATO mid-air refuelling aircraft scrambled to shoot down the drones. A NATO spokesperson said it was the first time the alliance confronted a potential threat in its airspace.

Here’s what we know so far, what it means to invoke Article 4, the potential for invoking Article 5 and more.

What’s happening in Poland?

Poland said a significant number of Russian drones violated its airspace during a wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine. Polish authorities said 19 violations were recorded over seven hours, and nine crash sites were found, with some of them hundreds of kil

See Full Page