NATO countries must close the sky over western Ukraine for their own security, says Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratiuk
Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Co-Chair of the Ukrainian-Polish Parliamentary Assembly Olena Kondratiuk responded to the unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by russian drones, recorded on 10 September 2025.
«I have repeatedly called on Poland not only to demonstratively scramble its fighter jets every time russia attacks Ukraine, but also to shoot down russian missiles and drones approaching the Polish border. This has provoked a mixed reaction among Polish politicians. Some supported it, some pointed to NATO's position, and some called for Poland not to be drawn into ‘a war that is not theirs,» Olena Kondratiuk recalled.
She noted that with every drone that freely entered the territory of Poland, a NATO country, and remained unchallenged by air defence forces ‘in order to avoid escalation,’ russia was testing Poland's defences and NATO's ability to respond to threats.
«russia saw the weakness of the response, including the political response, to these incidents. We told our Polish colleagues that, seeing this weakness, russia would inevitably take the next step. This is its usual tactic. And that is what happened. During the night, numerous russian drones invaded Polish territory. Four airports were shut down. The Polish Armed Forces declared an act of aggression and finally shot down some of the drones,» Olena Kondratiuk noted.
The Deputy Speaker emphasised that during meetings with her Polish colleagues, she also advised them to address the civil security system — to check and prepare shelters and new bomb shelters.
«We have been through this too. Today, the Poles themselves experienced what it is like to take shelter during air raid alerts. After all, during the attack, the Polish government called on 8.5 million citizens to take shelter,» Olena Kondratiuk emphasised.
According to the Deputy Speaker, this unprecedented violation of Polish airspace is yet another test and challenge for our neighbours and an integral part of the hybrid war that russia is waging against Poland, the EU and NATO countries.
«The time has come to respond decisively. It is time to shoot down all russian missiles and drones that pose a potential threat to Poland, provide Ukraine with additional air defence capabilities and collectively close the sky at least over western Ukraine. This proposal, which I have also voiced repeatedly, is more relevant than ever,» Olena Kondratiuk stressed.