Poland said Russia committed a major violation of its airspace. Follow Newsweek for live coverage.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has invoked NATO’s Article 4 after he said a “huge number” of Russian drones violated his country’s airspace during Moscow’s overnight attack on western Ukraine.
Tusk said 19 drones had entered Polish airspace and those posing a threat were shot down by Polish and NATO air defenses.
Under Article 4, NATO allies are called into consultation when a member state believes its “territorial integrity, political independence or security” is threatened.
Ukraine and its European allies have called the incident a significant escalation of Russia’s war.
Ukraine believes more drones violated Polish airspace
Russia is silent so far after its attack on western Ukraine
Trump, U.S. reaction still to come
Kyiv’s allies seek tough response to Russia
Belarus blames “electronic warfare” for wayward drones
Follow Newsweek for live updates.Russia-Ukraine war map shows control of territory
Newsweek’s John Feng put together this map showing the current control of territory in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.Belarus blames “electronic warfare” for drones going astray
Belarus, one of Russia’s closest allies, which borders Ukraine and Poland, said drones fired by both sides in the conflict had been impacted by “electronic warfare” that caused them to go astray from their intended paths.
It also said Belarus had destroyed wayward drones over its territory.
Major General Pavel Muraveiko, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in Belarus, shared a statement on Telegram.
“During the night-time exchange of strikes by UAVs between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the Air Defence Forces and assets of the Republic of Belarus on duty continuously tracked UAVs that had lost their track as a result of the impact of the parties’ electronic warfare assets”, Muraveiko said.
“Some of the lost drones were destroyed by our country’s Air Defence Forces over the territory of the republic.”
Muraveiko said Belarus had exchanged information with Poland and Lithuania overnight as it detected the “approach of unknown aircraft to their countries’ territory.”
“This allowed the Polish side to respond promptly to the actions of the drones by scrambling their forces on duty”, Muraveiko said.
“In fairness, it should be noted that the Polish side also informed the Belarusian forces on duty about the approach of unidentified aircraft from the territory of Ukraine to the border of the Republic of Belarus.
“The exchange of information on the air situation is an important component of ensuring security in the region as a whole and contributes to building confidence and strengthening security.
“The Republic of Belarus will continue to fulfil its obligations within the framework of the exchange of information on the air situation with the Republic of Poland and the Baltic countries.”EU’s Kallas: “Russia’s war is escalating, not ending.”
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, warned that Russia is escalating its war in Ukraine—and she said Moscow’s violation of Polish airspace was “intentional”.
“Last night in Poland, we saw the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental”, Kallas said in a statement posted to social media.
Kallas said she was in contact with NATO’s Secretary General and the Polish foreign minister.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Poland. Russia’s war is escalating, not ending”, Kallas said.
“We must raise the cost to Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest in Europe’s defence. The EU plays a major role and we will support initiatives like the Eastern Border Shield defence line.”NATO makes clear this was a multi-ally response to Russia
https://t.co/JE2WvMlXTD pic.twitter.com/j3ZZJtqNWmUK’s Keir Starmer blasts “extremely reckless move by Russia”
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the Russian drone incident in Poland “deeply concerning” in a statement shared widely by the British media.
Britain is a staunch ally of Kyiv and is one of the major powers in the “Coalition of the Willing” that has said it would put troops in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force once the war ends to deter Russian aggression in the future.
“This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day”, Starmer said.
Starmer said he had spoken with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk “to make clear our support for Poland”.
“My sincere thanks go to the NATO and Polish forces who rapidly responded to protect the Alliance”, Starmer said.
“With our partners—and through our leadership of the coalition of the willing—we will continue to ramp up the pressure on Putin until there is a just and lasting peace.”Trump’s reaction to Russian violation may be pivotal
U.S. President Donald Trump has for months sought to engage Russia through diplomatic means to broker a peaceful and to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
But, despite a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and assurances from Moscow that it also desires peace, Russia has intensified its invasion of Ukraine, frustrating Trump.
Trump has signaled that he is moving forward with deeper sanctions and secondary tariffs against Russia’s trading partners after threatening tougher action. He also wants Europe to toughen its sanctions and tariffs.
The serious Russian violation of Polish airspace—and the threat it posed to a NATO ally, which the U.S. is treaty-bound to defend—could prove the turning point in Trump’s tactics on getting Russia to make peace.
Will Trump use this moment to follow through on his threats of punishing sanctions and tariffs to force Moscow to make peace?Hungary’s Viktor Orban rallies behind Poland
Hungary has been at odds with most of its NATO and European Union allies over the war in Ukraine, and has courted friendlier relations with Russia.
But Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a political ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has rallied behind Poland over the Russian drone attack.
“Hungary stands in full solidarity with Poland following the recent drone incident”, Orban posted to X.
“The violation of Poland’s territorial integrity is unacceptable. The incident proves that our policy of calling for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war is reasonable and rational.
“Living in the shadow of a war is fraught with risks and dangers. It’s time to make it stop! To this end, we support the efforts of President @realDonaldTrump aimed at achieving peace.”Zelensky believes more Russian drones entered Polish airspace
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his air force believes more drones violated Polish airspace than is presently known.
“In total, at least several dozen Russian drones were moving along the border of Ukraine and Belarus and across western regions of Ukraine, approaching targets on Ukrainian territory and, apparently, on Polish territory”, Zelenksy said.
“The number of Russian drones that traversed into Poland and penetrated deeply into its territory may be greater than the previously announced figure.
“According to updated data, around two dozen of Russian drones may have entered Polish airspace during the night. We are verifying this.”
Another report from the Commander of our Air Force. We are clarifying all available data and analyzing the details of this Russian strike.
Already during the night, Ukrainian forces were informing the Polish side through the relevant channels about the movement of Russian…

Tensions are rising between U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Tensions are rising between U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. Navy has increased its presence in the Caribbean and last week Trump announced that a U.S. military strike killed 11 members of the Tren de Aragua gang on a vessel in international waters.
Would U.S. military intervention in Venezuela be effective, either in stopping drug cartels or toppling Maduro? Has the Trump administration already gone too far? Newsweek contributors Daniel R. DePetris and Dan Perry debate:
Daniel R. DePetris:
The Trump administration is rightly frustrated about the drug crisis plaguing America, which suffers tens of thousands of overdose deaths every year. Yet by using the U.S. military to battle the cartels, the White House is essentially mimicking—and escalating—the failed “war on drugs” playbook that Richard Nixon introduced more than a half-century ago. Bombing small boats allegedly carrying drugs northward may give us a momentary rush of satisfaction, but if history is any guide, the long-term results will be lacking. Tackling the supply side of the drug problem is not enough. And by exercising “gunboat diplomacy”, Washington is liable to alienate governments in Latin America whose cooperation will be essential for tackling cartels.
Dan Perry:
I’m conflicted on this. On the one hand, killing people on a Venezuelan boat in the high seas without trial looks like a summary execution. Even drug smugglers don’t legally face the death penalty, and it’s troubling for the U.S. to take lives without due process. On the other hand, Venezuela’s regime is a criminal enterprise devastating its people, destabilizing the region, and very likely enabling drug flows to the U.S. In that context, a harsh response sends a message that Washington’s tolerance has ended. I’m not so worried about upsetting some corrupt governments. The morality is murky, but the strategic logic of drawing a red line is not without merit.
DePetris:
You won’t get any pushback from me about the existence of corrupt governments in Latin America. And I take your point on the legality of it all; due-process is nonexistent in this circumstance. But if the objective of this flashy strike was to deter criminal organizations from producing drugs and sending them to the United States, then it’s highly unlikely to work. Cartels and the people who run them aren’t irrational per se, but they aren’t particularly concerned with risk, either. They are driven first and foremost by profits, and if there is money to be made inside the United States, they will inevitably find new trafficking routes to keep the money flowing. The monetary incentives are huge, and I have a tough time believing U.S. strikes are going to change them.
Perry:
I’m prepared to take that risk. We’ll see what works and what doesn’t. Criminals are hard to predict, but governments can be influenced. Maduro relies on the army’s loyalty to stay in power, and making them feel vulnerable could rattle his rule—an excellent outcome. I can’t guarantee strikes will achieve any of that, and of course the narco-mafia will try to adapt, but unlike today’s bizarrely mutated Republicans I support the United States’ post-WWII role as a force for good, and the projection of power here makes this a rare positive action by a president who otherwise seems dispiritingly isolationist.
DePetris:
I fear this is a case of the Trump administration throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. It’s a wholly reactive, uncorked strategy. In fact, I’m not sure you can even call it a strategy. On Venezuela specifically, Trump seems to be all over the place, which means his goals are all over the place as well. He wants to negotiate with Maduro on some issues like migration and prisoner releases but wields the military stick on others, like drug trafficking. The latter undermines the former. In fact, military strikes provide an otherwise illegitimate head of state like Maduro with the opportunity to rally the Venezuelan population against a foreign interloper. Are we making this man’s job easier in the end?
Perry:
You might be right, and I understand it can seem ridiculous to take Trump’s strategy seriously. In Europe, there is indescribable frustration and fear over the U.S. stepping back from leading the Western alliance—to the incredible point of seeming to actually align itself with the West’s authoritarian enemies (as Trump did in recent elections in Romania and Poland). So I see this Venezuela action, perhaps wishfully, through that filter: as a small correction toward a more classic, positive U.S. role in the world. I’m frankly relieved Trump is not aligning with Maduro and doing deals with drug gangs!
DePetris:
This is precisely why it’s so difficult to pinpoint what Trump is going to do. What he chooses today might not hold up tomorrow—and what he does tomorrow may not mean anything in three or four months. It’s also going to be interesting to see whether the Trump administration is able to maintain some semblance of unity. There are conflicting interpretations within the administration about what the United States should be doing in Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wants regime change in Caracas; Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy, wants deals on migration, energy, and prisoners. Trump is in the middle, and his tendency to oscillate between one side or the other doesn’t help folks like us who would like some clarity.
Perry:
Sometimes outcomes matter more than coherence, and now we’re at the heart of the matter—I’m a centrist liberal, and my concern is that today’s GOP doesn’t care about democracy. So I find myself aligned with Rubio in wanting regime change in Caracas. Maduro is that terrible, and I believe in projecting American power and promoting democracy. My hope is that Trump, who you believe is sitting in the middle, veers Rubio’s way—because paradoxically, that’s also what classic liberals and most Europeans want. And what our old values actually demand.
DePetris:
Can the United States cease or even limit drug trafficking through the Caribbean by using military force? That is the real heart of the matter. As much as the administration wants to us to believe it, I don’t think it can. We’ve used the sharp tip of the spear many times before, whether it was in Colombia during the 1990s and early 2000s or in Afghanistan during the two decade-long war there. The results are clear: the drugs keep getting produced because the monetary incentives stay the same. Just as it’s incredibly hard to deter terrorists, it’s also incredibly hard to deter narcotraffickers. The latter’s disinterest in political resolutions means it might even be more perplexing.
Perry:
Daniel, I respect you as a sharp and sophisticated thinker, but sometimes it’s possible to overthink. Of course force alone won’t solve everything, and the drug trade is notoriously resilient. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go after it with all our might. When I approach the narco mafia, I want to carry a very big stick. Bottom line: on this occasion, I actually applaud the Trump administration for showing some cojones.
Daniel R. DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at the Chicago Tribune.
Dan Perry is the former Cairo-based Middle East editor (also leading coverage from Iran) and London-based Europe/Africa editor of the Associated Press, the former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, and the author of two books. Follow him at danperry.substack.com.

Ten North Carolina House GOP members have signed a letter insisting on formal proceedings to remove Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes for her “reckless” decision to release Decarlos Brown Jr. on a cashless bail despite being aware of his lengthy criminal history and mental health issues
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Republican lawmakers are pushing to have the North Carolina judge who released the violent criminal accused of fatally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska removed from the bench.
Ten North Carolina House GOP members have signed a letter insisting on formal proceedings to remove Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes for her “reckless” decision to release Decarlos Brown Jr. on a cashless bail despite being aware of his lengthy criminal history and mental health issues, Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC) posted on X Wednesday
The letter, addressed to Chief District Court Judge Roy Wiggins, claimed that Stokes’ ruling to allow Brown Jr. to go free “based solely on his ‘written promise’ to appear for a future court date” following his January arrest had “devastating consequences.”
“Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility,” the letter read.
“By releasing a repeat violent offender on nothing more than his written promise to appear, Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.”
The letter was co-signed by Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Chuck Edwards, Gregory F. Murphy, Addison P. McDowell, Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan and Brad Knott.
Moore, who is leading the GOP members’ charge to have Stokes removed, said they are seeking to hold the judge accountable.
“This tragedy was preventable. There must be accountability. North Carolinians deserve better,” the Republican lawmaker wrote on X.
Brown Jr., 34, was arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery and larceny dating back to 2007.
That included a stint in jail for armed robbery in 2014, from which he was later set free in September 2020, then thrown behind bars again five months later for assaulting his sister.
Brown Jr. was most recently arrested for false 911 calls, bizarrely claiming he was being controlled by “man-made” devices, then dialing again in anger while police were still on scene, leading to his arrest.
However, Stokes released Brown Jr. on cashless bail two days later, requiring him to sign a written promise to appear in court for his next scheduled date.
While free on the cashless bail on Aug. 22, Brown Jr. viciously stabbed Zarutska in an unprovoked sneak attack as she rode the Charlotte light rail home from her job at Zepeddie’s Pizza.
Horrifying video shows Brown Jr. seated on the train before the 23-year-old refugee boards and takes a seat in front of him.
As Zarutska is scrolling on her phone, Brown Jr. is seen unfolding a pocket knife before looming over her and making several fatal stabs into her neck.
He is currently being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail on murder charges.
Zarutska had taken refuge in the US back in 2022 after Russia invaded her home country.
The accused killer’s mother said her son battled schizophrenia — and should never have been turned loose on the streets.
Brown Jr.’s brother, Jeremiah, told The Post the justice system could have “prevented” the murder and that the system should have never “just let him walk free especially because of mental issues.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday that the caught-on-tape murderer has been hit with a federal criminal charge for killing the “young woman living the American dream.”
“Her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” Bondi said.
The slaughter of Zarutska has drawn national attention, including from the White House, with President Trump calling Brown Jr. a “lunatic.”
“There are evil people, and we have to confront that. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman,” Trump said.