Putin 'testing the West', Kyiv says after drones downed over Poland

KYIV, Ukraine: Russia’s leader is escalating his war on Ukraine and testing the West, Kyiv said Wednesday, after drones violating Polish airspace were shot down.

The statement came shortly after Poland scrambled aircraft alongside allies to shoot down “hostile objects” violating its airspace.

“Russian drones flying into Poland during the massive attack on Ukraine show that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s sense of impunity keeps growing because he was not properly punished for his previous crimes,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X.

“Putin just keeps escalating, expanding his war, and testing the West,” Sybiga said. “The longer he faces no strength in response, the more aggressive he gets.”

“A weak response now will provoke Russia even more — and then Russian missiles and drones will fly even further into Europe,” he added.

The incursion into Polish airspace came as Russia unleashed a barrage of strikes across Ukraine, including in the western city of Lviv, around 50 miles (80 kilometres) from the Polish border.

Russian drones and missiles have entered the airspace of NATO members — including Poland — several times during Russia’s three-and-a-half-year war, but a NATO country has never attempted to shoot them down.

The operational command of Poland’s military slammed the “unprecedented” airspace violations, saying it had spotted around a dozen drone-type objects, some of which were downed.

“This is an act of aggression that has created a real threat to the safety of our citizens,” it said.