Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has requested the triggering of a Nato article that could have major consequences for the defence alliance after claiming Poland is "the closest it has been to open conflict since World War Two".
Some 19 "hostile" Russian drones entered Poland’s airspace in the early hours of Wednesday morning, sparking a rapid response from Nato fighter jets.
Responding to the incursion, Mr Tusk said there was "no reason to claim we're on the brink of war" but said the situation was "more dangerous than before".
In addition, he motioned for the triggering of Nato Article 4 - asking members of the defence pact for advice - and believing that Polish territory and security are under threat.
"I have no reason to claim we're on the brink of war, but a line has been crossed, and it's incomparably more dangerous than before," Mr Tusk said.
"This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two."
He continued by confirming that three drones had been shot down and that a fourth had likely been downed.
"The fact that these drones, which posed a security threat, were shot down changes the political situation," Mr Tusk said.
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In a meeting this morning, Donald Tusk said 'this situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two'
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The Polish PM held an urgent meeting at the chancellery with military and emergency services officials
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"Therefore, allied consultations took the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the Nato Treaty."
Following the incident, Russian officials denied the incursion was of the Kremlin’s making.
A diplomat told Russia’s state media that Poland had not given any evidence that the drones shot down were of Russian origin, saying the accusations were "groundless".
It is understood that Nato chief Mark Rutte has been in touch with Polish leadership following the incident, with a source claiming Nato was not treating the incident as an attack but as an intentional incursion.
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Pictured are parts of a damaged UAV shot down by Nato jets over Poland
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Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35, Italian Awacs surveillance planes, and mid-air refuelling aircraft jointly operated by Nato were involved in the overnight operation, according to the source.
Russia has long said it has no intention of stoking a war with Nato, and that Western European countries suggesting it is a threat are trying to worsen relations.
In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer branded Russia "extremely reckless" and called the situation "extremely concerning".
He said: "This morning's barbaric attack on Ukraine and the egregious and unprecedented violation of Polish and Nato airspace by Russian drones is deeply concerning.
Three regions of eastern Poland were marked 'most vulnerable' during the Russian drone incursion | GB NEWS"This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day.
"I have been in touch with the Polish Prime Minister this morning to make clear our support for Poland, and that we will stand firm in our support for Ukraine.
"My sincere thanks go to the Nato and Polish forces who rapidly responded to protect the Alliance.
"With our partners – and through our leadership of the Coalition of the Willing – we will continue to ramp up the pressure on Putin until there is a just and lasting peace."
The UK's Foreign Office has advised Britons that there may be travel disruption to the region but that Poland's airports were open.
It advised: "Follow official Polish Government announcements and updates from airlines."
The FCDO added that "Russian military strikes have taken place in Ukraine within 20 kilometres of the Polish border.
"Access to the border is restricted."
Keir Starmer, who met with Mark Rutte (L) yesterday, branded the situation in Poland 'deeply concerning'
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Speaking on GB News, former Nato commander Chris Parry warned that similar incursions could occur at the newly created contact points with Russia.
"This is the Russian way of signalling, unless you push back hard, they'll continue to probe around the edges of what the tolerance levels are short of actual war," Mr Parry told the People’s Channel.
"It's called grey zone warfare. You keep sort of probing to see what the tolerance levels of the opposition are. You never get to a point where it's actual war.
"I think we can expect, because Sweden and Finland are dared to join Nato as a result of the Ukrainian war, you're going to see this sort of thing happening on the borders of Sweden and Finland soon."
EXPLAINED: What is Nato's Article 4?
Nato Article 4 states that members of the Western military alliance will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.
It has been previously activated only seven times during the defence alliance's 76-year history, each time coming in the 21st century.
Poland and other European Nato members have twice used the article to prompt talks on how the alliance should respond to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as the full-scale Ukraine invasion in 2022.
Turkey invoked Article 4 the other five times.