Poland‘s Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that Russian drones had flown into Polish airspace during an overnight attack on Ukraine, prompting urgent talks with NATO allies.

Tusk denounced the “large-scale provocation,” saying Poland had identified 19 violations of its airspace and shot down at least three drones after scrambling aircraft alongside allies. Fortunately, no one was harmed in the incident.

The incursion came as Russia unleashed a barrage of strikes across Ukraine, including in the western city of Lviv, around 50 miles from the Polish border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on social media that the airspace violation was a “dangerous precedent” for Europe, saying it was “no accident,” and urged a strong response from Kyiv’s Western allies.

Tusk invoked NATO’s Article 4, which allows any member to call urgent talks when it feels its “territorial integrity, political independence or security” are at risk.

This marks only the eighth time the measure has been used. NATO’s main political decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, changed the format of its weekly meeting on Wednesday, holding it under Article 4 of the alliance treaty.

A senior NATO diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the incursion was “not seen as the start of something bigger.”

The diplomat added that the response from NATO would probably be “shifting a few extra assets” to Poland or elsewhere in the east and pushing a “tough line” from the NATO secretary general.

The European Union has expressed its complete solidarity with Poland after drones from a Russian attack in western Ukraine entered Polish airspace.

EU Council President Antonio Costa said the events were a stark reminder that the security of one is the security of all. EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Russian drone entry into European airspace appears deliberate, not accidental.

“Russia’s war is escalating, not ending. We must raise the cost on Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest in Europe’s defence,” Kallas said.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the incursion “simply unacceptable” and said he would soon speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

“We will not compromise on the security of allies,” Macron said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on neighboring countries to use their air defense to intercept aerial targets over Ukraine.

“Ukraine has suggested such a step for a long time. It needs to be taken for the sake of collective security,” Sybiha wrote on X.

Russia’s top diplomat in Poland, Andrei Ordash, told RIA Novosti he had been summoned to the foreign ministry for a meeting and said Warsaw was yet to show evidence that the drones shot down overnight had come from Russia.

The operational command of Poland’s military said the airspace violations were “unprecedented” and called it “an act of aggression.”

The incident has sparked widespread concern and condemnation from European leaders, with many calling for a strong response to Russia’s actions.

As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: the pursuit of security and stability in the region will continue to be a major challenge for NATO and its allies.