Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged NATO to take Russian threats more seriously after a suspected Russian drone crossed into Romanian airspace, warning that Moscow may be probing the alliance’s resolve through repeated border incidents.
In comments posted on social media, Mr Tusk pointed to remarks made by the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who has previously suggested that European states could face further “provocations” amid escalating tensions between Russia and Nato members.
Tusk wrote on X: “Poland, Baltic states, now Romania. More and more Russian provocations. Yesterday the former president @MedvedevRussiaE said that the peaceful sleep of the EU citizens is over.
“Everyone in NATO should finally start taking these facts and words seriously”
The warning comes after a drone, believed to be Russian, entered Romanian airspace on Friday, slamming into a civilian apartment block, prompting renewed concern among Nato allies over the security of the alliance’s eastern flank.
Romania, which borders Ukraine and has repeatedly dealt with spillover from the war, has already seen fragments of Russian drones land on its territory during strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure near the Danube.
While there is no suggestion of a deliberate attack on Nato territory, the incident adds to a growing list of airspace violations and near-misses that Western officials say underline the risk of escalation.
Mr Tusk’s intervention reflects heightened anxiety among frontline NATO states that Russia may be testing response thresholds through low-level incursions, cyber activity and rhetoric from senior officials in Moscow.
His comments also highlight growing concern over the tone of Russian leadership messaging, particularly from figures such as Mr Medvedev, whose public statements have frequently included warnings directed at European capitals.
Nato officials have repeatedly insisted that the alliance is monitoring such incidents closely, while maintaining that its defensive posture remains unchanged. However, eastern member states have urged greater air defence coordination and faster response mechanisms in the event of further incursions.
The latest incident is likely to renew debate within the alliance over how to deter spillover from the war in Ukraine without directly escalating into open confrontation with Russia.
For Poland and Romania in particular, both of which sit on NATO’s eastern border, the episode reinforces long-standing concerns that the war is no longer contained strictly within Ukrainian territory.
As tensions continue to rise, Mr Tusk’s warning signals growing impatience among frontline European governments, who are increasingly pressing NATO to treat even limited airspace violations as part of a broader pattern of Russian pressure on the alliance.
On Friday, Dmitry Medvedev, known as the “Pathetic nano-president”, launched a fresh tirade against European leaders after a Russian drone crashed into a residential building in Romania, telling EU governments to “get used to it” and “shut up” in a series of inflammatory remarks that will deepen alarm across NATO capitals.
In a Telegram post, Medvedev derided EU leaders as “Euro-impotents” and suggested they had no grounds to complain about spillover attacks while continuing to support Ukraine militarily. “So they’d better get used to it. This won’t be the last time,” he wrote.
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