Polish and allied aircraft have been deployed in a preventive operation in Poland’s airspace because of a threat of drone strikes in neighbouring areas of Ukraine. Authorities also closed the airport in the eastern city of Lublin.
The alert on Saturday lasted about two hours. Earlier in the week, multiple Russian drones had crossed into Poland, prompting NATO to send fighter jets to shoot them down and underlining concerns about the expansion of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Poland’s operational command said that ground-based air defence and reconnaissance systems were placed on high alert. It stressed that the measures were preventive and aimed at securing the country’s airspace and protecting its citizens.
Prime minister Donald Tusk confirmed that preventive air operations had begun in response to the threat posed by Russian drones operating over nearby areas of Ukraine.
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency explained that Lublin airport was closed due to military aviation activity, while the government security centre issued warnings of a possible air attack.
Polish aircraft have been scrambled repeatedly in recent months to patrol national airspace during Russian airstrikes in Ukraine, though such operations usually occurred at night or in the early morning.
Meanwhile, Romania also reported a breach of its airspace on Saturday. The defence ministry stated that a Russian drone entered during an attack on infrastructure in Ukraine. Two F-16 jets were scrambled, and the aircraft tracked the drone until it disappeared from radar near the village of Chilia Veche.