A recent airspace incident in Poland has reignited debate over NATO’s ability to counter drone threats. According to reports from several Western outlets, including Politico, Kurier, and Rzeczpospolita, the alliance remains largely unprepared to defend against waves of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
On Wednesday, Polish officials claimed that 19 Russian drones crossed into their airspace, calling the situation “unprecedented.” Warsaw requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, while Moscow dismissed the allegations as unfounded and accused Poland of fueling “war hysteria.”
In response to the reported intrusion, NATO deployed Dutch F-35 fighter jets, an Italian surveillance aircraft, and a German Patriot missile system. However, interception results were limited. Polish authorities admitted that only three to four drones were successfully downed.
Austria’s Kurier underscored the imbalance between cost and effectiveness, noting that drones priced at roughly $11,000 were targeted with air-to-air missiles worth nearly $400,000 each. The newspaper stressed that relying on such expensive defenses against swarms of cheap drones is unsustainable.
The incident was discussed in Brussels during a meeting between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU ambassadors. Diplomats present confirmed that Rutte himself admitted deploying fighter jets against every drone was “not feasible,” and none of the participants disagreed.
Polish media also raised doubts about the country’s own capabilities. Rzeczpospolita described Poland as “powerless” against UAV threats, pointing out that newly acquired SkyCTRL anti-drone systems are already in need of modernization.
Concerns about NATO’s preparedness are not new. According to Financial Times reporting earlier this year, internal alliance assessments suggested that NATO possesses only 5% of the air defense capacity required to protect Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Scandinavia effectively.
Meanwhile, Russia has rejected claims that its drones are targeting NATO countries, insisting that recent operations were aimed exclusively at Ukrainian military infrastructure. The Russian Defense Ministry reiterated its readiness for dialogue with Warsaw, while President Vladimir Putin dismissed Western warnings of an attack on NATO as “nonsense” designed to justify rising defense expenditures.