The Czech Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that it has summoned the Russian ambassador in Prague following the recent violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a statement that the incident was an unacceptable provocation by Moscow and reiterated Prague’s support for Poland and NATO’s collective defense.

“I have decided to call the Russian ambassador. Russian drones in Poland are a pure provocation by the Kremlin. The Czech Republic firmly supports Poland. We will defend the territory of the alliance,” Lipavský wrote on social media.

The diplomatic move by Prague follows a series of similar actions by other European countries in response to the incursion. Earlier Thursday, the Dutch Foreign Ministry also summoned the Russian ambassador to The Hague to demand an explanation.

On September 10, Poland’s Foreign Ministry had already summoned the Russian ambassador to Warsaw, presenting a formal protest note and calling the drone incident a direct threat to Polish and NATO security, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported.

The repeated summoning of Russian envoys underscores growing European alarm over what officials describe as escalating Russian provocations near NATO borders amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. (ILKHA)