Russia Follows Up Drone Attack on Poland by Threatening to Destroy Finland

Sarah RumpfSep 10th, 2025, 9:25 pm
 
Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

Russia’s penchant for saber-rattling appears to have not been satisfied by the drones it sent into Poland, issuing a threat against Finland as well.

Overnight, roughly 20 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, triggering Poland to shut down four airports and scramble its defenses, along with support from other NATO allies, including Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, and NATO-operated refueling aircraft.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed “19 intrusions” into Polish airspace, many from Belarus, and invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, compelling member states to consult when territorial security of any member state is threatened, a step short of triggering the collective defense obligations under Article 5. Tusk emphasized that Poland was not formally at war, but called the situation the “closest to armed conflict since the Second World War.”

Russia’s leadership is thinking about WWII as well, invoking the global conflict in a statement from Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council. Medvedev, who previously served stints as Russian President and Prime Minister, has been a staunch ally of current President Vladimir Putin, including aggressively defending the invasion of Ukraine.

In a social media post from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Medvedev issued a stark warning to Finland about “building a new ‘Mannerheim Line'” — referring to the Finnish defensive fortification built against the Soviet Union in WWII — saying that “confrontation with Russia can lead to the collapse of Finnish statehood — this time forever.”

“Unlike in 1944, no one will go soft on them this time,” Medvedev added. “As the saying goes, ‘sitä saa, mitä tilaa’ – you get
what you ask for.”

The post included a link to a lengthy Telegram post that accused Finland of committing “genocide and war crimes” against the Soviet Union and of being “a satellite of Nazi Germany,” before complaining about Finland joining NATO.

Unsurprisingly, Medvedev’s statement drew sharp condemnation from commentators who pointed out that the original Mannerheim Line was not an act of aggression, but to defend against a Soviet invasion, the reality of Finland’s NATO membership, and other contrary points to the Russian’s argument. A sampling of critical responses is below.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.