Poland scrambled its own air defences alongside NATO support on Wednesday to shoot down multiple drones that entered its airspace during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine. The move marks the first direct Polish military involvement in the conflict since the war began, with Warsaw condemning the violation as “an act of aggression.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that operations were ongoing and said he was in “constant contact” with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Tusk also called an emergency meeting of the council of ministers for 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) to discuss the escalating situation.
Poland’s military command reported that drones repeatedly violated Polish airspace during the Russian strikes across the border in western Ukraine. Radar systems tracked more than 10 unidentified objects, and those posing potential threats were “neutralised.”
“Some of the drones that entered our airspace were shot down. Searches and efforts to locate the potential crash sites of these objects are ongoing,” the military command said in a statement.
Authorities warned residents in the Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions — areas considered most at risk — to remain indoors. “This is an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens,” the statement added.
Russia’s defence ministry has yet to respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was briefed on the situation, according to CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins. The US State Department did not immediately issue a statement.
In response to the escalating tensions, Warsaw’s Chopin Airport, Poland’s largest, announced the closure of its airspace due to military operations. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed several incoming flights diverted to other Polish airports, including Katowice, Wroclaw, and Poznan.
The US Federal Aviation Administration also confirmed the temporary closure of four Polish airports, including Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport in the southeast, a critical hub for passenger traffic and arms transfers to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force had placed most of the country under air raid alerts, including western regions bordering Poland, such as Volyn and Lviv. Earlier reports from Ukraine’s air force claimed that Russian drones posed a threat to the Polish city of Zamosc; however, that statement was later withdrawn from the Telegram messaging platform.
Poland’s swift response highlights the increasing risks of spillover from Russia’s war in Ukraine, raising concerns within NATO about potential escalation along the alliance’s eastern flank.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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