Russia's 'unprecedented violation' of Polish air space was branded an 'act of war' by a pro-Trump Congressman as Polish leaders planned an 'extraordinary meeting' to respond.

NATO leaders scrambled to immediately address the first military incident between the countries since the 2022 Ukraine invasion after Poland said it shot down military drones that 'repeatedly violated' its airspace.  

'Moscow always pushes the boundaries of what is possible,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. 'And if it does not encounter a strong reaction, it remains at the new level of escalation.'

Republican rep. Joe Wilson said Russia was 'attacking NATO ally Poland' with drones, calling it an 'act of war'.

'I urge President Trump to respond with mandatory sanctions that will bankrupt the Russian war machine and arm Ukraine with weapons capable of striking Russia,' he said.

Wilson added that the incursion meant that Putin was 'directly testing our resolve in NATO territory'. 

'Free and prosperous nations will teach Russia about borders,' he said.  

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said the Russian aggression was a sign 'Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations'.

'After the carnage Putin continues to visit on Ukraine, these incursions cannot be ignored,' Durbin wrote on X. 

Democrat Senator Chris Murphy told CNN Tuesday that although he had not been briefed, the drones flying over Poland would be 'incredibly serious'.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly been briefed. There was no public comment from the White House or State Department early Wednesday. 

Trump, who welcomed Putin to the United States for a summit in August, said over the weekend he was ready to move to a second phase of sanctioning Russia after months of fruitless talks about a peace deal.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment. 

A spokesperson for the Polish government said that Prime Minister Donald Tusk is meeting with his cabinet and will hold an extraordinary meeting of its Council of Ministers early Tuesday morning, the BBC reported. 

The country said it was forced to scramble its air defenses to take out the craft in the early hours of Wednesday - in its first engagement since the war began. 

Residents have been urged to stay indoors as Polish armed forces 'identified and neutralized the objects'. 

'Some of the drones that entered our airspace were shot down,' Poland's armed forces said. 

'Efforts are under way to search for and locate the possible crash sites of these objects.' 

Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the drones 'could have posed a threat', adding: 'The operation is ongoing.'

The escalation also saw NATO fighters clamber in Slovakia and Romania due to the threats from Vladimir Putin. A US F35 is also among jets involved in the mission. 

Wednesday's military clash between Poland and Russia was the first of its kind since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The move was seen as an escalation by Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The Nato nation's army command first said in the early hours of the morning that airspace was violated by 'drone-type objects' during the Russian attack across the border in Ukraine. 

'An operation is underway aimed at identifying and neutralizing these objects... weapons have been used, and service personnel are carrying out actions to locate the downed objects,' it said in a statement. 

It said the military operation was ongoing and urged people to stay at home, naming the regions of Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin as most at risk.

'The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces is monitoring the situation, and subordinate forces and units remain on full readiness for immediate response,' it added.

At least one US F-35 was among the NATO planes in the skies, and a refueling aircraft was sent from the Netherlands.

As the operation was underway, Russia reportedly staged a massive new missile and drone attack on neighboring Ukraine.

PM Tusk said in a statement: 'An operation is being conducted involving multiple violations of Polish airspace. The military used weapons against targets.'

'I am in constant contact with the president and the defense minister. I have received a direct report from the operation commander.'

The Polish leader later added: 'I received a report from the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces Branches regarding the downing of drones that intruded into our airspace and could have posed a threat.

'The operation is ongoing.'

The country also closed four airports, including its main Chopin Airport in Warsaw, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. 

There was no official confirmation from Polish authorities that any airports had been closed.

Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said: 'Russia has launched many missiles, and drone attacks continue, which pose a threat not only to our people.

'The terrorist country continues the war, although it constantly declares a desire for peace.'

Russia's defense ministry has yet to officially confirm the incident. 

Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app that drones were heading west and threatening the city of Zamosc in Poland.

It was not immediately clear how many drones were in NATO member Poland's airspace.

Ukrainian media also reported that at least one drone was heading towards the western Polish city of Rzeszow, but Polish officials have not confirmed whether drones had entered their airspace. 

Meanwhile, Poland's Operational Command has said that it continues to monitor the situation and that forces remain prepared to respond. 

Unverified reports said Warsaw Airport had closed for 'unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security', but Polish officials or the airport's operators are yet to confirm this. 

Meanwhile, plane tracking website FlightRadar24 said that a notice to airmen was active for four airports and traffic areas in Poland, with overflights continuing through the areas, 'but further west than usual'. 

In the early morning hours, most of Ukraine, including western regions of Volyn and Lviv, which border Poland, were under air raid alerts for several hours, according to Ukraine's air force data. 

The warning comes hours after Poland said it was closing its border with Belarus on Thursday as a result of Russia-led military exercises taking place in Belarus. 

Russia and Belarus' large-scale military exercises, known as the 'Zapad' drills, have raised security concerns in neighboring NATO member states Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. 'Zapad-2025' (West-2025) will be held in western Russia and Belarus.

It also comes hours after a Russian airstrike killed 24 elderly people who were collecting pensions in a village in eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops have pressed a grinding offensive across much of the eastern Donetsk region as diplomatic efforts to achieve peace stalled.