Ukraine Air Force Warns Russian Drones Breached Polish Airspace

Poland’s military on Wednesday reported multiple violations of its airspace by drones during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.

“During today’s attack by the Russian Federation aimed at targets in Ukraine, our airspace was repeatedly violated by drones,” the operational command of Poland’s armed forces said on social media, adding that efforts were underway to “identify and neutralize” some targets and recover others that had been downed.

Earlier, Polish and allied aircraft were mobilized in response to the incursion, while Warsaw’s main Chopin Airport was temporarily closed, according to a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration notice citing “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security.”

The breach comes a day after Poland’s newly elected nationalist President Karol Nawrocki warned in Helsinki that Russian President Vladimir Putin could extend aggression beyond Ukraine. “We do not trust Vladimir Putin’s good intentions. We believe that he is ready to also invade other countries,” Nawrocki said.

A NATO member and staunch backer of Kyiv, Poland hosts over a million Ukrainian refugees and serves as a critical hub for Western military and humanitarian aid. Russian drones and missiles have previously crossed into NATO airspace in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania during the war.

Just last month, Warsaw accused Moscow of a “provocation” after a Russian military drone entered Polish territory and exploded on farmland in the country’s east.