Poland announced that it deployed its air defense systems, alongside those of NATO, to intercept drones on Wednesday following a Russian assault on western Ukraine. This incident marks the first time during the conflict that Warsaw has engaged with aerial threats within its own airspace.
The Polish military reported that multiple drones repeatedly breached the nation’s airspace amid the ongoing Russian attacks across the border from Ukraine.
Additionally, radar systems detected over ten unidentified objects, and any that posed a potential threat were “neutralized.”
In a statement, the military conveyed, “Several drones that entered our airspace were shot down.”
They further noted that the military operation is ongoing and urged residents to remain indoors, identifying the Podlaskie, Masovian, and Lublin regions as particularly at risk.
The operational command of the Polish armed forces is actively monitoring the situation, with troops and units on alert for immediate response.
The Polish army labeled the airspace violation as an “aggressive act.” Minister of Defense Wojciech Kośniak-Kamysz remarked that Polish aircraft “engaged hostile objects with weaponry.”
He also stated on social media, “We are in continuous contact with NATO headquarters.”
Warsaw Chopin Airport, the country’s largest, has closed its airspace due to military operations.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration noted that Poland has shut down four airports, including Chopin and Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in the southeast, which serves as a passageway for passengers and military supplies to Ukraine.
As of now, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on Reuters’ request for a response.
A CNN correspondent reported yesterday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been briefed on the developments.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, by 0400 GMT, air raid alerts had been issued across all of Ukraine, including the western Volyn and Lviv regions that border Poland, for several hours.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Forces warned that Russian drones had entered Polish airspace, threatening the city of Zamość, although this message was later retracted from a Telegram post.