A retired Polish couple found themselves at the center of a tense international incident early Wednesday when Russian drones entered Polish airspace — one of which crashed into their home.
Tomasz and Alicja Wesolowski were inside their house in Wyryki, a village just a few miles from the Ukrainian border, when the unexpected event unfolded, causing serious damage to their family residence.
“I turned on the TV, and the news was dominated by reports of a large drone incursion,” Tomasz recounted to Reuters. “Then I heard a plane overhead, descending quickly with a growing roar. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and lights fell from the ceiling downstairs.” Looking outside, he saw pieces of metal flying off their roof.
Alicja described the shock they felt as the crash shook their home. “I was terrified, thinking we might be caught in a bombing. It was frightening to have a plane flying so close above us,” she said.
Thankfully, the couple was unharmed. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that 19 drone objects had crossed into Polish airspace overnight, with several intercepted by the military amid what was described as an “unprecedented” threat.
The incident was widely condemned by Polish and NATO officials as a significant escalation by Russia, which has denied intentionally sending drones into Poland. While most drones were shot down or crashed near the border, local authorities reported that at least two drones traveled as far as 100 miles inside Polish territory.
In response, Poland has called for a meeting under Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which requires the alliance to convene whenever a member nation perceives threats to its sovereignty, security, or political independence.