Overview

• Poland reported 19 drones entered its airspace, shot down several with allied help, invoked NATO Article 4 consultations, and closed its border with Belarus.
• NATO chief Mark Rutte unveiled the Centinela oriental initiative to reinforce the eastern flank in the coming days with assets pledged by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
• Allied interception efforts involved Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, an Italian AWACS, a NATO tanker and German Patriot systems as commanders work to better integrate air and counter-drone defenses.
• Russia and Belarus started Zapad-2025 exercises that officials say include simulations of tactical nuclear employment and Oreshnik hypersonic missiles across sites in Belarus, Russia and the Baltic-Barents seas.
• Moscow denied responsibility for the breach and the UN said it cannot independently verify the incident, while Warsaw and Washington reinforced warnings against violations of allied territory.