Canadian Foreign Ministry summoned Moscow's envoy after drone incursions

​​​​​​​HAMILTON, Canada

Canada's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Stepanov in Ottawa after drone incursions into Poland's airspace earlier this week.

"When Russian drones violated Polish airspace, they violated NATO's airspace as well," Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a statement on the US social media company X.

The ministry summoned the envoy on Wednesday, according to the Canadian Press.

"Today, I spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to re-affirm Canada's unwavering support to our NATO allies and to Ukraine," said Anand, welcoming "NATO's operation Eastern Sentry, which will strengthen collective defense along the Alliance's Eastern Flank."

She noted that "Canada has provided over $22 billion to Ukraine (loans, military support, development assistance) and sanctioned nearly 4,000 individuals and entities" since the beginning of the Russian war with Ukraine.

Saying that following the incursion, "Canada summoned the Russian ambassador to issue an official reprimand to Russia," Anand reiterated Canada's continued "solidarity with Ukraine in the short and long term in the interests of its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Poland accused Moscow of deliberately violating its airspace with drones during massive airstrikes overnight Tuesday on Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the drones were Russian, with authorities initially recording 19 airspace violations. Polish and allied NATO forces shot down some of the drones, marking the first such defensive action of this kind.

Russia’s Defense Ministry denied any intention to strike targets on Polish territory during the attacks, which it claimed targeted enterprises of Kyiv’s military-industrial complex in western Ukraine. Moscow also expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with Warsaw about the incident.