Merz agreed with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that the drone incident was intentional.
“The Russian government’s claim that this was a coincidence or an accident is not credible,” he stated.
In the early hours of Wednesday, Poland, supported by Dutch fighter jets, shot down a wave of Russian drones, seemingly a test by Russian President Vladimir Putin of NATO’s defenses. German Patriot air defense systems and an Italian surveillance aircraft assisted in downing the drones, according to Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general.
Russia’s defense ministry mentioned no destruction targets in Poland but did not specifically deny drones crossing the border. Belarus’s deputy defense minister, allied with Moscow, claimed the drones had “lost their way.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius noted that around 19 drones entered Polish airspace, likely launched from Belarusian territory, resembling the Shahed-type used by Russian forces against Ukraine. “These drones were clearly deliberately set on this course,” he informed the German parliament.
Merz highlighted that the incursion demonstrated the need for significant improvement in NATO’s air defenses in Europe.
“First of all, I would like to note that European air defense, NATO air defense, worked, but not as well as it should have to prevent such a large number of drones from entering Polish airspace early enough,” he said. “This will trigger discussions within NATO. It will also trigger discussions within the European Union.”
Merz concluded: “We are and will remain determined to significantly increase the defense readiness and defense capabilities of the European part of NATO.”
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