NATO is not treating the incursion of drones into Polish territory as an attack, a NATO source told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that initial assessments indicated a deliberate incursion by six to ten Russian drones.
"This is the first time that NATO aircraft have responded to potential threats in allied airspace," the source said, adding that NATO Patriot air defense systems in the region detected the drones on radar but did not act against them.
The night operation involved Polish F-16 fighters, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS reconnaissance aircraft and NATO-operated aerial refueling aircraft, according to the source.
Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace during a widespread Russian attack on western Ukraine on Wednesday, in a move the NATO ally called an "act of aggression," Reuters reported.
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