Russia’s September 9–10 drone attack, when at least 19 decoy Gerbera drones entered Polish airspace, caused little physical damage but triggered a swift response, including operation “Eastern Sentry,” in a kinetic test of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) resolve. Moscow’s incursion occurred alongside large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine and the launch of Zapad-2025 exercises, possibly to demonstrate long-range aviation capabilities despite losses from Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, while simultaneously cultivating plausible deniability and testing NATO’s reaction. NATO’s military response included shooting down four of the drones and Article 4 activation, while broader Western sanctions continue to deepen Russia’s economic crisis.
Moscow Downplays Drone Incursion on Poland (Pavel K. Baev – The Jamestown Foundation)
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