Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Poland of deliberately refusing to participate in an investigation into alleged Russian drone violations of its airspace, framing the dispute as part of a broader Western campaign to vilify Moscow and destabilize Ukraine.
Polish authorities had previously claimed that 19 Russian drones breached their territory on September 10, labeling the incident a provocative act aimed at testing NATO’s resolve. In response, several European nations summoned Russian diplomats, while NATO announced plans for heightened military readiness. Zakharova dismissed these allegations as baseless, stating that no evidence has been presented to substantiate the claims.
“Warsaw has rejected Moscow’s offer for dialogue and ignored factual data provided by the Russian Defense Ministry,” Zakharova said in a statement. She described the situation as part of an “informational offensive” designed to justify Western support for Kyiv and derail peace efforts. The Russian official also criticized the 20-nation “drone coalition” supplying Ukraine, accusing its members of hypocrisy for condemning Russia while ignoring the impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian civilians.
Zakharova highlighted that Ukrainian drones have killed 16 people and injured 116 others in Russian regions this summer, including children. She condemned what she called the “systematic targeting” of civilian infrastructure by Kyiv’s forces, alleging that drones are used to attack residential areas, hospitals, schools, and markets. “The neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv employs these weapons with impunity, endangering defenseless populations,” she asserted.
Russian officials have previously denied the possibility of their drones reaching Polish airspace, suggesting the incident could be a provocation orchestrated by Ukrainian authorities to escalate tensions with NATO. Zakharova’s remarks underscore Russia’s continued efforts to cast doubt on Western narratives surrounding the conflict, while framing Kyiv as a destabilizing force.
