Nineteen suspected Russian drones entered Polish airspace on Monday, where they were intercepted by a joint operation that included Polish, Dutch, and Italian aircraft as well as German Patriot missiles. This marked the first time that NATO militaries had fired shots during the Russian war in Ukraine as well as the first time that NATO aircraft have engaged potential threats in allied airspace.

It was not the first time Russian aircraft and weapons have crossed into NATO territory, as the nation’s campaign of drone and missile strikes targeting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure has escalated over the course of the three-and-a-half-year war. Fragments of Russian drones have repeatedly landed in NATO member Romania, which borders Ukraine. In a 2022 incident, two people were killed in Pola

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