The Polish military command announced today, "Poland's airspace has been repeatedly violated by objects suspected to be unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during Russian attacks on targets in Ukraine. We are conducting an operation to detect and neutralize these objects. Soldiers are searching for debris from the downed targets."
This is the first time the Polish military has announced firing on and intercepting aircraft violating its airspace since the Ukraine conflict began. Polish officials urged residents to stay indoors, warning that the Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and Lublin provinces faced the highest risk.
 |
Polish air defense missile system and helicopter participate in an exercise in June 2022. Photo: Polish Ministry of National Defence |
Polish air defense missile system and helicopter participate in an exercise in June 2022. Photo: Polish Ministry of National Defence
The Polish military's operational command stated, "We are monitoring the situation, and our forces and subordinate units remain on high alert," but did not disclose the number of UAVs that entered or were shot down.
AMK Mapping, a social media account on X that tracks the war in Ukraine, estimated that at least 8 UAVs entered Polish airspace, of which two were shot down and one crashed.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Poland closed 4 airports during the UAV incursion. These included Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport in eastern Poland, a transit point for Western aid to Ukraine, and Chopin Airport in Warsaw.
The Ukrainian Air Force Command initially reported that "Russian UAVs have entered the airspace of Poland, a NATO member, posing a threat to the city of Zamosc", but quickly retracted the statement.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has not commented on the reports.
 |
Location of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Graphic: FT |
Location of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Graphic: FT
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, missiles from both Moscow and Kyiv have occasionally strayed into Polish airspace. Most of these were Russian cruise missiles targeting western Ukraine, typically traversing Polish airspace briefly en route to their targets.
The most serious incident occurred in 11/2022, when a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile crossed the border and landed in a Polish village, killing two people. Since then, Poland has frequently activated its air defense systems and deployed fighter jets in response to such incidents.
On 18/8, a suspected Russian UAV flew into Poland and crashed in a cornfield about 100 km from the Ukrainian border. The explosion caused no casualties, but shattered windows in nearby houses. The Polish Minister of National Defence admitted that the country's air defenses failed to detect the aircraft, despite being on high alert.
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, Reuters)
