On Wednesday, Poland activated its own and NATO air defenses to intercept drones following a Russian air assault on western Ukraine. This marks the first instance in the Ukraine conflict where Warsaw has engaged assets within its own airspace.
Poland’s military command reported that “drone-type objects” repeatedly breached Polish airspace during the Russian attack across the Ukrainian border.
“We are conducting operations to identify and neutralize these objects. Weapons have been deployed, and personnel are actively locating the downed drones,” the statement explained.
The military advised residents to remain indoors, highlighting Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions as areas of heightened risk.
“The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces is closely monitoring the situation, with forces on full alert for immediate action,” it stated.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration noted that Poland closed four airports, including Warsaw’s main Chopin Airport. However, Polish authorities have not officially confirmed these closures.
The Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport, a key hub for passenger and military supplies to Ukraine, was among those temporarily shut, according to the FAA.
There was no immediate comment from Russia’s defense ministry when approached by Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was briefed about Russian drones over Poland, as reported by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday. The State Department has yet to issue a comment.
Earlier, Ukraine’s air force claimed Russian drones had entered NATO-member Poland’s airspace, threatening Zamosc city, but later removed this statement from Telegram.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin remarked that repeated NATO airspace violations by Russian drones signal “Vladimir Putin testing our commitment to defend Poland and the Baltic states.”
“Following the devastation Putin continues to unleash on Ukraine, these incursions cannot be overlooked,” he expressed on X.
Poland has maintained high vigilance since a stray Ukrainian missile hit a southern Polish village in 2022, resulting in two fatalities during the ongoing Russian invasion. However, no reports indicate Polish or allied defenses have successfully downed any drones.
As of 0245 GMT, air raid alerts were active across all of Ukraine, including the western regions of Volyn and Lviv neighboring Poland, according to Ukraine’s air force.
