MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. The incident involving drones in Poland does not indicate a direct threat of war between Russia and NATO. According to Boris Pervushin, an expert and professor at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, NATO's invocation of Article 4 simply entails consultations and the exchange of assessments among member states, rather than triggering immediate military action.
Earlier, NATO activated Article 4 at Poland’s request following the intrusion of UAVs into Polish airspace. Articles 4 and 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty outline the procedures for collective consultation and defense: while Article 4 involves member countries consulting each other when any are threatened, Article 5 stipulates that an attack on one is considered an attack on all. Importantly, Pervushin emphasized that this episode did not initiate any automatic mechanism for NATO’s direct involvement with Russia, but rather serves as a pretext to sway public opinion and justify increased defense budgets within the EU.
"Without concrete evidence of the drones’ origin or casualties, this remains a gray area, limited to consultations and rhetorical statements," Pervushin explained. "NATO has explicitly stated that invoking Article 5 - entailing collective military response - is not under consideration. Poland’s move to invoke Article 4 was purely for consultation purposes."
He further argued that the heightened rhetoric surrounding the incident is driven more by political motives than military necessity. "Warsaw aims to portray itself as a ‘victim’ maintaining control of the situation. Brussels seeks to justify increased military spending, while Kiev hopes to deepen NATO’s involvement in air defense," Pervushin said.
The expert contends that the broader context reveals that recent months of Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine have heightened sensitivities. "Ukrainian air defenses are struggling, and Kiev has long demanded NATO’s joint interception of Russian drones - similar to joint efforts seen in Israel. The Polish drone incident fits this pattern: it is used to suggest a threat to the entire alliance and to pressure allies into collective action," he noted.
Finally, Pervushin emphasized that there is no rational reason for Russia to intentionally breach Polish airspace.