KYIV: Russia’s leader is escalating his war on Ukraine and testing the West according to Kyiv’s assessment following the downing of drones that violated Polish airspace.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga stated that Russian drones entering Poland during the massive attack demonstrate Putin’s growing sense of impunity due to inadequate punishment for previous actions.
“Putin just keeps escalating, expanding his war, and testing the West,“ Sybiga wrote on social media platform X.
He warned that a weak response would provoke Russia further, potentially leading to Russian missiles and drones flying deeper into European territory.
The airspace violation occurred during a Russian barrage of strikes across Ukraine, including targets near the Polish border in western Lviv.
Russian drones and missiles have previously entered NATO member airspace several times during the three-and-a-half-year conflict without being intercepted.
Poland’s military command described the airspace violations as unprecedented, detecting approximately a dozen drone-type objects with some being successfully shot down.
The Polish military emphasized that this act of aggression created a real threat to citizen safety. – AFP
