NEW YORK, September 12. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said he does not intend to take sides in the incident involving drones violating Poland's airspace.

"I’m not going to defend anybody," he told Fox News in response to a related question. "They were actually knocked down. But you should not be close to Poland anyway," Trump pointed out.

Early on September 10, the Polish Army Operational Command reported the destruction of several objects identified as drones that had violated Poland’s airspace. Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that 19 airspace violations were recorded overnight to September 10. He added that all drones originated from Belarus. In response to the incident, NATO, at Poland’s request, invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty to launch consultations among alliance members.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Russian Armed Forces struck Ukrainian defense industry facilities in Ivano-Frankovsk, Khmelnitsky, Zhitomir Regions, as well as in Vinnitsa and Lvov overnight to September 10. The ministry emphasized that "no targets in Poland were planned for attack." The range of drones allegedly crossing the border with Poland does not exceed 700 km. The Russian Defense Ministry expressed readiness to consult with the Polish side "on this issue."

Trump, responding to journalists’ questions on the South Lawn of the White House, remarked that the drone incident in Poland "could have been a mistake." He did not specify whose mistake it was. "But despite that, I’m not happy with anything about this whole situation. But there’s hope that it will all stop," Trump added, referring to the conflict in Ukraine.