Poland and fellow NATO allies were put on high alert and mobilized fighter jets early today following an onslaught by Vladimir Putin on Ukraine with missile and drone attacks overnight.
Poland’s military confirmed the deployment of fighter jets and an early warning aircraft in response to the escalated state of readiness for air defense and radar systems in Warsaw. The strikes by Russia in Ukraine resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a young girl, as reported by Kyiv officials. The assaults led to widespread power outages, which Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko condemned as an attempt to cast Ukraine into darkness before the harsh winter months.
The operational command in Poland stated, “In light of the Russian Federation’s assault on targets within Ukrainian territory, Polish and allied air forces are now active in our airspace. Fighter pairs on standby and an early warning aircraft have been launched, with ground-based air defense and radar systems operating at maximum alert.”
Joining the operations were jets from Norway, Spain, and Turkey, with German forces contributing support through a Patriot missile system. Polish airports in Radom and Lublin were temporarily closed during the operations, with authorities announcing their conclusion around 10:30 am.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz remarked, “We are facing incredibly challenging times. Our MiG-29s intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane at 8:49 this morning. Although it did not breach Polish airspace, our air defense systems were active overnight, and both national and allied aircraft were deployed.”
Just the day before, a Polish MiG-29 pair intercepted a Russian aircraft flying without a flight plan and with its transponder off over the Baltic Sea in international airspace.
NATO’s eastern flank has been vigilant against potential airspace violations since September when Russian military jets encroached on Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes.
Earlier in September, over 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Warsaw to invoke NATO’s Article 4 for discussions among allies regarding territorial security threats. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski described the drone incidents as a trial of NATO’s commitment by Russia.
Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declared to Russian media that “NATO is in conflict with Russia,” pointing to Western support for Ukraine as involvement in the conflict.
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