Following the Russian drone attack on September 10, Poland has begun renewing its strategic partnership with Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski arrived in Kyiv for talks on cooperation.So far, the sides have agreed that Ukrainian defenders will share their combat experience with Polish colleagues. Warsaw, however, has firmly stated that it will not send its own troops to Ukraine, arguing that such a move would “drag Poland into the war” and would not be supported by the majority of Polish society.In reality, these narratives are fueled by pro-Russian forces, open Russian agents, and propaganda outlets, which on the night of the drone attack attempted to spread disinformation about a supposed “Ukrainian provocation.” The attempt failed — the lies were too blatant to gain traction.Personally, I believe the absence of Polish troops in the stabilization forces of the Coalition of the Willing, set to arrive in Ukraine after the end of hostilities, is a strategic mistake. Recent developments have underscored this even more clearly.This week, NATO and Poland took decisive action in response to a massive Russian drone attack on Polish territory. For the first time, a NATO country officially confirmed such an attack. The decision to shoot down the drones was made by the Operational Command of the Polish Army, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki publicly announced the border violation. Poland also initiated the application of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Notably, a Russian military target was destroyed by a NATO aircraft for the first time.All of this marks a potential turning point in NATO’s understanding of its role in countering Russian aggression. A key signal came when Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski openly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the drone incursion into Polish airspace had been a “mistake.”It was no mistake. Until recently, a Polish or Romanian strike on a Russian military target would have been viewed as an unacceptable escalation. That was the reasoning behind NATO’s refusal to close the skies over Ukraine in 2022. And when a Russian Su-27 downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone in March 2023, Washington’s response was limited to condemning Moscow’s “dangerous and unprofessional actions.” This time, however, the reaction was not only political — it was military as well.The low percentage of drones shot down in Poland, compared to Ukrainian air defenses, highlights Warsaw’s limited experience in modern warfare. Currently, NATO troops resemble the Russian army of 2021 before the invasion of Ukraine. They lack real combat experience against a capable adversary. Russia, by contrast, has spent years gaining battlefield experience, adapting its doctrines to the realities of modern war.In a direct clash between Russia and NATO, Russian forces would bring battle-hardened skills, tested attack and defense technologies, and operational knowledge to the fight — including in air warfare. Should 400 drones, like those recently launched at Ukraine, strike Polish cities, the confrontation would pit brilliant theorists against experienced, combat-proven killers.To address this gap, NATO needs to gain real combat experience — not just on training grounds, but in actual conflict conditions. One of the simplest and safest options for the allies would be to deploy air defense systems in western Ukraine. While cities such as Lviv, Lutsk, Rivne, and Ternopil remain vulnerable, they are not as exposed as Sumy, Kharkiv, or Kherson. Moreover, any drone over western Ukraine poses a potential threat to Poland, making it more logical to intercept them before they cross the border.Some may label this as 'escalation,' but it is a necessary response to attacks on Polish territory. To ease tensions within NATO, such units could be formed on a voluntary basis — and there are likely to be volunteers. This would allow Poland to gain vital defensive experience while signaling to Russia that further attacks carry real consequences.About the author. Mykola Kniazhytskyi, Ukrainian journalist and MP.The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of blogs or columns.