Ukraine-Russia war live: UN to hold emergency meeting after Trump responds to Russia violating Polish airspace

Finnish President Alexander Stubb is in Ukraine on Thursday to meet President Zelensky.

A video posted on X by the Ukrainian leader shows the pair paying tribute to Ukraine’s fallen soldiers at the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv.

The leaders of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s intrusion into Poland’s airspace as an “unprecedented provocation and an escalation of tension”.

In the statement, they called for partners to “urgently strengthen Ukraine’s air defence” and to “support Poland and Lithuania in their efforts to secure an eastern flank of Nato and the EU”.

“Only an adequate and strong response will prevent further escalation,” they added.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has pledged a “great modernisation programme” for the country’s military a day after it shot down Russian drones in its airspace.

Addressing Polish troops at an air base in the central city of Lask, Mr Tusk said he would “do everything” to ensure military equipment promised by allies, including the US, are delivered.

“We will do everything to ensure that our allied obligations, which are so important from our point of view today, are fulfilled by our allies,” Mr Tusk said.

“We hope that the Americans will meet the deadlines. We would like the first batch of the F-35s to reach you in May, and so that we can speak of our air power with increasing confidence from month to month, and from year to year. And that Poland is truly safe from the sky.”

Poland’s foreign minister has told local radio the country is “drawing the world’s attention” to the “unprecedented” violation of Polish airspace by calling for a UN Security Council meeting.

“(We are) drawing the world’s attention to this unprecedented Russian drone attack on a member of the UN, EU, and NATO,” Radoslaw Sikorski said.

“I have appeared before the UN (Security) Council in the past, and it seems to me that our arguments have been convincing.”

Poland introduced restrictions to air traffic along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine, the Armed Forces’ Operational Command said on Thursday, amid increased tensions a day after multiple drone incursions into the NATO member’s airspace.

“At the request of the Operational Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces … air traffic restrictions will be introduced in the eastern part of Poland in the form of the restricted zone EP R129”, Polish Air Navigation Agency said in a statement published late on Wednesday.

The restrictions came into force at 2200 GMT on Wednesday and apply until December 9, it said.

From sunrise to sunset flights in the restricted zone are banned, apart from manned aircraft operating in accordance with a flight plan with appropriate transponders and maintaining two-way communication with air authorities, the agency said.

The restrictions also make exception for military flights and some additional special-purpose flights and call signs.

“From sunset to sunrise there is a total ban on flights, with the exception of military aircraft… In the EP R129 zone, there is a 24-hour flight ban on civilian unmanned aircraft, the agency said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its drones had carried out a major attack on military facilities in western Ukraine, but it had not planned to hit any targets in Poland.

Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian legislators said on Thursday they have asked the US Congress to reconsider planned military support cuts under the Baltic Security Initiative programme.

The White House confirmed earlier this week it would look to slash the $220 million programme, which provides defence funding to the countries.

But lawmakers in the US have blasted the move, accusing Trump of “turning his back on our longstanding NATO allies” and “stripping them of the resources needed to counter increasing Russian aggression”.

In a joint letter on Thursday, the three parliaments wrote: “We kindly ask you to support the funding of the Baltic Security Initiative in the fiscal year 2026 Defence Appropriations Bill and its authorisation in the National Defence Appropriation Act.”

A couple whose house was destroyed after Russian drones were shot down in Polish airspace on Wednesday have said they were scared they were “being bombed” when the incident happened.

Tomasz and Alicja Wesolowski said they ran outside and saw a plane overhead after their house was struck.

“I turned on the TV, and all the news was about this massive drone flight, and after a while, I heard a plane flying over… and suddenly something boomed, the light fell from the ceiling in the downstairs living room,” Mr Wesolowski told Reuters in the eastern Polish village of Wyryki-Wola.

“I ran out into the yard, and I saw the whole roof in shreds, everything was destroyed.”

At Poland’s request, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to address Russia’s violation of Polish airspace, the Polish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

It comes after Poland shot down a number of Russian drones flying over its airspace on Wednesday.

The UK will mass produce cutting-edge interceptor drones to help Ukraine fight off Russian aerial attacks.

The drones, designed by Ukraine with support from UK scientists and technicians, are highly effective in destroying the one-way attack aircraft Moscow continues to launch at Ukrainian cities, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

It comes after Russian drones violating Polish airspace during overnight attacks on Ukraine were shot down by Poland and Nato.

Defence Secretary John Healey will detail the project, the first under a technology-sharing deal with Kyiv, at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) trade show in London on Thursday.

After Russia’s incursion into Poland with several drones, Nato’s air defences did not work “as well as it should have”, German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.

The incursion overnight on Wednesday was a deliberate provocation on Wednesday, he said – the latest in a series of provocations recorded in the last months.

“First of all, I would like to note that European air defence, Nato air defence, worked, but of course not as well as it should have in order to prevent such a large number of drones from entering Polish airspace early enough,” Mr Merz said.

“We are and will remain determined to significantly increase the defence readiness and defence capabilities of the European part of Nato,” he added.