Poland scrambles military aircraft as Russian missiles target western Ukraine
"Due to the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on objects located, among others, in western Ukraine, military aviation has begun operating in Polish airspace," the command said in a statement posted to X.
The operational commander "activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems reached a state of readiness," the statement added.
"The steps taken are aimed at ensuring safety in areas bordering the threatened areas," the command said. "The Operational Command of the Armed Forces is monitoring the current situation, and its subordinate forces and resources remain in full readiness for immediate response."
MORE: Trump-Putin pressure puts Zelenskyy in focus on Russia war anniversary, insiders say
The command said that its forces were stood down after around four hours, with "no violation of the airspace of the Republic of Poland" observed.
The Polish military, it added, "is constantly monitoring the situation in the territory of Ukraine and remains in constant readiness to ensure the security of Polish airspace."
All of western Ukraine -- and much of the rest of the country -- was placed under air raid alerts in the early hours of Tuesday. Nightly Russian drone, and often also missile, attacks have become the norm in Ukraine as the country begins a fourth year of its defensive war.
This weekend, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement to social media, "Every day, our people stand against aerial terror."
MORE: After 3 brutal years of Russia-Ukraine war, resolution rests on shoulders of 3 men
On Saturday night, Russia launched its largest-ever drone strike, firing 267 UAVs into Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force.
Russian and Ukrainian projectiles have at times crossed into Polish and other NATO national airspace. In 2022, two people were killed in eastern Poland by what the Polish Prosecutor's Office said was a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile that went off course during a Russian attack.
MORE: Ukraine reels as Trump criticism echoes Russian disinformation campaign
In at least two other instances, Warsaw has alleged that Russian cruise missiles briefly violated Polish airspace on their way to targets inside Ukraine. Poland summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to demand an explanation after one such incident in December 2023.
NATO allies Romania and Latvia have also reported airspace violations by Russian drones during Moscow's war on Ukraine.
Poland scrambles military aircraft as Russian missiles target western Ukraine originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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