Slovak officials’ remarks on drones in Poland spark backlash

Slovakia’s foreign minister downplays Russian drone incursions into Poland, triggering public outrage and fuelling fresh calls for mass antigovernment protests

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Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar visits Warsaw
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar [EPA/MARCIN OBARA]

BRATISLAVA – Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár stirred controversy on Wednesday after suggesting that Russian drones that crossed into Polish territory were likely intended for Ukraine rather than Poland.

“I want to believe that the drones that entered Polish territory were not intended to attack Poland, but were meant to end up in Ukrainian territory,” he said in response to the Russian drone incursions over Poland on Wednesday.

His awkward statement angered both the public and the opposition, which recently announced it will resume mass antigovernment protests that had been on hold for several months.

Former foreign minister Ivan Korčok (PS) accused Blanár of “losing touch with reality,”while Prime Minister Robert Fico and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák called the airspace violation a serious incident that needs to be investigated but stopped short of directly blaming Russia.

“It is absolutely necessary to objectively assess whether this was intentional or accidental, and under whose control the drones were,” Fico said in a statement.

Influential Smer MP Tibor Gašpar added that he does not believe “it is in Russia’s interest to attack any EU country.”