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5 min of reading
Retaliation for Karol Nawrocki’s veto? Drones over Poland are not revenge by Ukrainians for the restriction of 800 plus
Fot. Facebook / Pexels / Modyfikacje: Demagog
Retaliation for Karol Nawrocki’s veto? Drones over Poland are not revenge by Ukrainians for the restriction of 800 plus
“Attention, during today’s attack by the Russian Federation, targeting facilities on the territory of Ukraine, our airspace was repeatedly violated by drone-type objects” – this information was released by the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces (DO RSZ) on Wednesday, September 10, before 4:00 a.m.
The appearance of Russian drones over Poland has sparked a false narrative that this was a provocation carried out by Ukraine. According to some social media users, the drones were allegedly sent by Ukraine in order to “drag us into the war.” Some people blamed Ukraine for not shooting down the drones as they approached Polish territory from across Ukraine.
According to other comments, the air raid was supposedly retaliation by Ukraine for President Karol Nawrocki’s decisions not to send Polish troops to Ukraine (1, 2) and for cutting Ukrainians off from the 800+ benefit (1, 2). Opinions such as this one have appeared on social media: [original spelling]: “The only provocation is from Ukraine – revenge for 800 plus is still not enough” and “A strange coincidence. Nawrocki says there will be no Polish troops in Ukraine and suddenly – boom – drones over Poland. What’s Russia’s motive and what’s Ukraine’s?”
Where did the drones come from?
Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed parliament that the first violation of Polish airspace occurred on Tuesday at around 11:30 p.m., and the last one at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday [recording timestamp: 10:14:05]. A total of 19 border crossings were recorded, and the downing of some drones was confirmed by the DO RSZ.
The Prime Minister declared that the drones shot down over Poland during the night of September 9–10, 2025, were not sent by Ukraine. The Chancellery of the Prime Minister reported on platform X that some of the drones came directly from Belarus.
According to DO RSZ, the violation of Polish airspace occurred as a result of an attack by the Russian Federation on targets in Ukraine. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, Russia launched 805 drones and 13 missiles against Ukraine. Another attack took place on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, involving 415 assault drones and 41 missiles. Air raid alerts lasted across the entire country, including western regions near the Polish border.
Are the drones Ukrainian retaliation for Karol Nawrocki’s decisions?
Ukraine’s alleged revenge is said to be linked to President Karol Nawrocki’s decisions regarding further Polish support for Ukraine. During a meeting with the President of Finland on September 9, 2025, Nawrocki said he did not intend to give his consent to the deployment of Polish soldiers to Ukraine:
“We have shown that we are ready to help, and this will not change in the coming months, in the coming years, until a lasting peace is achieved. However, participation of the Polish Armed Forces in Ukraine is, from my perspective, excluded. There is no such need.”
The President of Ukraine has repeatedly expressed his desire to receive military assistance from other countries, including Poland. However, this is not proof that the lack of such support resulted in “revenge” in the form of drones entering Polish airspace.
After the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, Volodymyr Zelensky declared Ukraine’s readiness to provide Poland with any information regarding the Russian attack. He also promised assistance in creating an effective warning and defense system against threats from Russia.
Decisions on the 800+ benefit for Ukrainians
The rules for Ukrainians residing in Poland after Russia’s invasion are regulated by the act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine. Foreigners declaring their intention to stay in Poland can remain legally (Art. 2 Sec. 1) and therefore are entitled to receive family, childcare, and “Good Start” benefits (Art. 26 Sec. 1, Point 2). Certain conditions must be met (e.g., having a PESEL number and legalizing their stay).
Since June 1, 2025, the 800+ social benefit has only covered children of Ukrainian citizens who attend Polish schools or preschools (so-called “zerówka” classes).
Karol Nawrocki recently vetoed an amendment to the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens. One of the key changes was to extend the legal stay of Ukrainians (until 4 March 2026 – Article 1(1)) who arrived in Poland after 24 February 2022. In practice, it would have extended Ukrainians’ access to the Polish labor market, education, healthcare, family, and social benefits, including the 800+ program (1, 2).
The President proposed his own bill, which included changes such as extending the naturalization process, increasing penalties for illegal border crossings, and granting the 800+ benefit only to Ukrainians working in Poland.
In response to the presidential veto, the government prepared another bill under which the benefit payments would be conditional on employment activity in Poland and children’s attendance at Polish schools. The 800+ benefit would be granted only to those with a PESEL number, and eligibility would depend on foreigners earning at least 50% of the minimum wage.
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