Poland activated its own air defences, along with NATO forces, to intercept drones on Wednesday following a Russian aerial offensive in western Ukraine, marking the first instance in the Ukraine conflict where Poland had to deploy assets within its airspace.
The Polish military reported multiple violations of its airspace by “drone-type objects” amid the Russian attack on the Ukrainian border. “An operation is underway aimed at identifying and neutralising these objects … weapons have been used, and service personnel are carrying out actions to locate the downed objects,” the military command said in a statement.
The operation is still in progress, and authorities have urged citizens to stay indoors, with Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions identified as the most vulnerable. “The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces is monitoring the situation,” the statement read, adding that supporting forces are also on high alert to respond immediately.
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that four of Poland’s airports were closed, including Warsaw’s main Chopin Airport, although Polish officials have not officially acknowledged any airport closures. The Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland, a key point for both passenger and arms transfers to Ukraine, was also temporarily shut down, according to the FAA.
There was no immediate response from Russia’s Ministry of Defence regarding the incident.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly briefed about the Russian drones over Poland, as mentioned by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday, though the US State Department did not comment on the matter at the time, reports agencies.
Earlier, Ukraine’s air force had warned of Russian drones entering Poland’s airspace, creating a potential threat to the city of Zamosc. This statement was later retracted from Ukraine’s Telegram channel.
Poland has remained vigilant regarding airspace violations since an errant Ukrainian missile struck a southern Polish village in 2022, resulting in two fatalities. However, there have been no reports of Poland’s or NATO’s defence systems successfully downing drones.
As of 5:45am (GMT +3), Ukraine, including the western regions of Volyn and Lviv, near the Polish border, has been under air raid alerts for several hours, according to Ukraine’s air force.
