Poland has said it is shooting down Russian drones after they “repeatedly violated” its airspace during attacks on Ukraine.
In a statement on X, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said “weapons have been used, and operations are underway to locate the downed targets” after its airspace was “repeatedly violated”.
The military command added it had scrambled its own and NATO allied air defences, marking the first time in the war that Poland had engaged Russian assets in its airspace.
It then said Warsaw’s military operation was ongoing and urged people to stay at home, naming the regions of Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin as most at risk.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk repeated on social media that “an operation is underway related to the repeated violation of Polish airspace”.
Poland’s Patriot air defence systems. File pics: Reuters
Russia’s strikes appear to have been targeting Lviv, in Ukraine’s eastern region, with its mayor Andriy Sadovy posting on Telegram that explosions were heard in the city.
Poland’s defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also said the country is “in constant contact with NATO command”.
Poland has been on high alert for airspace incursions since 2022, when a stray Ukrainian missile struck a southern village and killed two people.
Ukraine’s air force had earlier said on Telegram that Russian drones had entered NATO-member Poland’s airspace, threatening the city of Zamosc, but it removed that statement.
Meanwhile, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration, Poland also closed four airports – including Warsaw’s Chopin terminal – after Russia launched its drone strikes.
It added that the Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport in Poland’s southeast, a hub for passenger and arms transfers to Ukraine, was among the airports that had been temporarily closed.
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Trump says next call with Putin soon
According to CNN, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been briefed on the reports.
It comes as Donald Trump said he plans on speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin soon – weeks after their first face-to-face in years.
Speaking in Washington DC, the US president said he thinks a call will happen “this week or early next week”.
It also comes after NATO secretary Mark Rutte told Sky’s Yalda Hakim that he believes Mr Trump is “crucial” in bringing Mr Putin to the negotiating table.
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Trump ‘crucial’ in bringing Putin to negotiating table
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