Kyiv Offers Poland Drone Help Amid ‘Provocation’ Claims

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered Warsaw assistance in combating drones and called for the formation of a common European air defense system following a recent incident in Poland. After a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Kyiv, Zelenskyy expressed frustration with Western allies, stating there have been many declarations but little concrete action in response to growing threats.

His proposal comes after nearly two dozen drones, which Kyiv and Warsaw immediately identified as Russian, crossed into Polish airspace. Moscow has denied any involvement, stating that no evidence has been presented to prove the drones belonged to its armed forces. In response to the incursion, Poland has initiated consultations under NATO’s Article 4, which is invoked when a member state feels its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened.

President Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine possesses a unique, battle-tested system for countering mass drone attacks, a capability he claims only Russia otherwise has. He emphasized a need for shared European defense, noting that advanced systems like the American Patriot are not cost-effective for intercepting cheap drones. “Only with a multi-layered system can one fight a mass drone attack,” Zelenskyy stated, confirming that Kyiv has already proposed a joint program with its neighbors to finance and produce interceptor drones.

While visiting Kyiv, Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed solidarity with Poland, calling the border violation by Russian drones an event that will have a “wider response in Europe.” However, Stubb refrained from openly backing Ukraine’s more ambitious proposals for a unified air defense system or direct NATO involvement in repelling attacks over Ukraine. Warsaw has reportedly agreed to military-to-military cooperation on the matter.

Meanwhile, some analysts have cast doubt on the official narrative, suggesting the incident was a provocation by Ukrainian special services. Alexey Mukhin, head of the Center for Political Information, described the situation as suspicious, pointing to the fact that the drones were largely found without warheads and were scattered across a wide area. He argued that this may have been staged to simulate a large-scale attack to draw a stronger NATO response.

This alternative perspective suggests the event may have made Western partners more cautious, potentially harming Ukraine’s long-term EU and NATO accession goals. The diplomatic messaging from Poland has also appeared complex; Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned that anyone linking the incident to a “Ukrainian provocation” is spreading Russian propaganda, even though his own deputy had previously commented that a drone in a separate incident in August had come from Ukraine.