Tuesday, 23 September, 2025
London, UK
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 3:38 AM
few clouds 6.4°C
Condition: Few clouds
Humidity: 81%
Wind Speed: 7.4 km/h

Poland to Russia: ‘You have been warned’ so don’t ‘whine’ if your jets are shot down in NATO airspace

Russia shouldn’t complain at the United Nations if its missiles or aircraft are shot down after entering NATO airspace, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned Moscow on Monday.

Sikorski was speaking at an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council in New York. The summit was convened after three Russian military jets entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes on Sept. 19 before being repelled by Italian F-35s representing NATO.

“I have only one request to the Russian government: If another missile or aircraft enters our space without permission, deliberately or by mistake, and gets shot down and the wreckage falls on NATO territory, please don’t come here to whine about it,” Sikorski said. “You have been warned.”

The incursion into Estonia came after Russia sent drones into both Poland and Romania earlier this month, putting NATO on high alert across Europe.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday that Warsaw will shoot down enemy aircraft that enter Polish airspace.

“I want to be very clear. We will make a decision to shoot down flying objects without discussion when they violate our territory and fly over Poland. There is no room for debate here,” Tusk told a press conference.

Not to be outdone, Sikorski sent a further barb Moscow’s way in New York: “We know you don’t care for international law, and you are incapable of living in peace with your neighbors. Your insane nationalism contains a lust for domination that will not cease until you realize that the age of empires is over and that your empire will not be rebuilt.”

The multiple incursions into NATO territory have led the EU to launch talks on creating a so-called drone wall to defend Europe’s eastern border against Moscow. Seven EU member countries are set to discuss the defensive gambit in an online meeting with the European Commission and Ukraine on Friday.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy