Polish officials have claimed that the country’s military intercepted several drones that crossed from Ukraine during overnight Russian strikes, describing the incident as an “unprecedented” violation of national airspace. Moscow has yet to comment on the allegation, and Warsaw has yet to show any evidence.
Polish armed forces launched an operation in response to “multiple violations of Polish airspace” and defensive weapons were used against the objects, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X early Wednesday morning.
“I informed the NATO Secretary-General about the current situation and the actions we have taken against objects that violated our airspace,” Tusk explained in a separate post. He added that he remained in “constant contact” with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Defense Minister Władyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
According to Warsaw, Polish and allied radar systems tracked “dozens of objects” during the incident. Those deemed a threat were “neutralized,” with several suspected drones shot down, Kosiniak-Kamysz said. The minister added that search operations were ongoing to locate the debris.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces also appealed to residents in the eastern regions of Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lubelskie to remain indoors while the military response continued.
“This was an unprecedented violation of our airspace and represented a real threat,” the military said in a statement. The reported breach came amid reports of Russian drone and missile strikes against targets in western and central Ukraine overnight, with explosions reported in Kiev, Rovno, Vinnitsa and Lviv.
Moscow has stepped up cross-border attacks against Ukrainian military facilities in response to Kiev’s strikes on Russian territory.
The incident follows Poland’s announcement that it will close its border crossings with Belarus later this week, citing security concerns over upcoming joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises near its frontier. Warsaw has mobilized tens of thousands of troops for NATO exercises, while Minsk has pledged to monitor the drills closely and respond to any “sign of aggression.”
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