Russian attack on Poland via drones “Shached-136”

No matter what else happens today in Europe, or even globally, the top story remains the Russian attack on Poland via drones “Shached-136”. Conflicting reports still come from Warsaw about the scale of the strike and how the threat was countered. What is clear: the Polish government was not prepared for such a scenario. There was no ready plan to activate the moment the intrusion was detected.

This concerns the military, the political, and even the information side of the response. We deliberately paused to watch Poland’s actions and to see whether a plan existed or not. Judging by the contradictory streams of news from Warsaw, one conclusion emerges: despite spending the highest share of GDP on defense among NATO’s European members, Poland still has no clear vision of the threats its armed forces must face.

Here’s the thing: a country’s defense doctrine is basically a big, official document that lists potential threats, who might pose them, and who your allies are supposed to be. Sounds serious, right? But in reality, it’s mostly declarative. The actual military actions are drawn up by the General Staff and locked away under the strictest secrecy. Ordinary citizens can only guess what the armed forces will do in a given scenario.

And yet, when the scenario hits, the outlines of that secret plan suddenly show themselves. Instantly, everyone can judge whether the plan was smart—or a complete mess.

Poland completely misjudged the threats

Last night’s events went in all directions, but if you take the first half of the day and sum it up, the overall mark is a big fat minus. Why? Despite Ukraine’s war experience, Poland completely misjudged the threats coming from ruZZians.

If it were otherwise, we would never have seen those grand performances called the “Ukraine border blockade.” Every single “blockader” should have been driven off with the harshest methods, fined so heavily that even coughing would be risky — let alone blocking anything.

And no, this isn’t about feelings toward Ukraine. It’s about what Ukraine is doing for Poland. We are a shield for all of Europe, primarily for Poland. Whether they like it or not doesn’t matter—the shield works.

So it’s truly bizarre to watch these theatrical blockades while a crowd of useful idiots takes a dump on that very shield, and the Warsaw government does… nothing. Again, it’s not about slights or politics — it’s about understanding, or completely failing to understand, the actual threats Poland faces.

The events of last night during the attack on Poland made this painfully obvious. Everyone knows that aircraft (F-16s, F-35s) serve as an emergency tool for air defense. Using them against Shaheds is sheer waste. Simply put, jets should operate only where ground-based air defense cannot. That’s how it works here, and by the way, that’s how it works for the enemy too. Modern war shows this clearly.

The failure of Poland’s defense doctrine was plain.

Nothing on the ground worked, meaning Poland was completely unprepared. Their eastern border air defenses were either non-existent or unfit for combat. The failure lies in battle planning, showing that Polish military leadership is preparing for a war that will never come, ignoring lessons from our own ongoing war.

They couldn’t even organize mobile fire groups. Likely, they don’t understand that one key goal of Shaheds is to deplete expensive weapon stocks — like air-to-air missiles — used at night to shoot down mopeds. Meanwhile, ruZZians constantly receive Chinese military delegations, and North Korean troops train on real battlefields to learn modern war firsthand. Theory can be endless, but practice crushes it mercilessly.

Now, with news that Poland is redeploying troops to its eastern borders, the situation is worse than imagined. Columns of personnel and equipment move eastward, oblivious to lessons from our war or September 1939, when Poland’s army suffered most losses on the march and in rail convoys. Maybe the ruZZians won’t strike, but the demonstration alone shows Poland clings to illusions from the day before yesterday.

It’s not just that troops moved wrong; last night proved Poland lacks an effective air defense system. Troops near the eastern border have no coverage. Why pull them there if one night could destroy them? Without working air defenses and combat experience in a drone-saturated battlefield, they are sitting ducks. This is Poland’s choice, but they are showing the ruZZians just how clueless they are. The enemy tested this, and Poland failed.

As one Kremlin Telegram channel gleefully notes:

Poles proved powerless against our strikes. NATO — laughable to even say now. We took a major step toward our goals. No need to worry.

Exam failed. The spinelessness Poland and NATO display opens doors for a larger war. The ruZZians saw Poland’s mental and military unreadiness for real confrontation.

What do officials and the media say about attack on Poland?

Initially, “over 10” drones entered Poland — almost all shot down. Later, the Prime Minister claimed 19 drones, 4 downed. Press sources added information from the military.

Question: how should a country react to an aggressor sending 22 drones, each carrying up to 100 kg of explosives? Two tons of ordnance delivered. On the internet, a “NATO cheat sheet” circulates:

• 1 drone — not an attack, do nothing;
• 15 drones — not an attack, maybe a provocation, do nothing;
• 50 drones — probably not an attack, call it unprecedented provocation, do nothing;
• 100 drones + 10 missiles — express “deep concern”;
• 500 drones + 100 missiles + ground invasion — lodge “firm protest”;
• Poland and Baltic states captured — immediately call for de-escalation talks.

It’s a joke, of course. But jokes carry truth. Think of the Gleiwitz incident, September 1939, Poland — led to WWII. Or the Mainila incident, three months later, enough to start war with Finland. None of these compare to last night, so the “cheat sheet” isn’t entirely humor. It shows Poland hadn’t planned for this scenario, nor coordinated with its press.

Everyone knows Moscow initiated the attack, but Polish media claim most drones came from Belarus. Then the explanation from the swamps:

Accusations are baseless. No proof these drones are Russian…

Sound familiar? Heard it dozens of times. First: “Prove it.” Then, “Not proof, here’s ours.” Finally: “Yes, we did it, and what will you do?”

Meanwhile, backstage, the voice of the “greatest president of all time” echoes: “Two weeks. Fifty days. Not a day more…”

That’s the situation regarding the attack on Poland as of now.