On Saturday, Polish and allied aircraft were engaged in a preventive operation over Poland’s airspace due to an escalating threat of drone strikes emanating from neighboring Ukraine. This significant operation resulted in the temporary closure of Lublin Airport, located in eastern Poland, as authorities responded swiftly to the potential danger.
The air alert, which lasted approximately two hours, was triggered after multiple Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace on Wednesday. This prompted NATO to deploy fighter jets to intercept the intruding drones, highlighting ongoing concerns regarding the expansion of Russia's conflict in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than three years.
The Polish military’s operational command took to social media platform X to announce that both ground-based air defense and reconnaissance systems were placed on high alert. The command emphasized that these actions were preventive, aimed at safeguarding Poland’s airspace and ensuring the safety of its citizens. Although they cited the threat of drone strikes in Ukrainian regions bordering Poland, specific details were not disclosed.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also confirmed the activation of “preventive air operations” in response to the threat posed by Russian drones in adjacent Ukrainian areas. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency reported that Lublin Airport was closed to all air traffic due to the ongoing military aviation activities. Additionally, the government security center issued warnings regarding a potential air attack affecting several border counties in the region.
Later in the day, the military’s operational command announced on X that the preventive operation had been successfully completed and that ground-based defense and reconnaissance systems had returned to their normal status. While Russia claimed it did not intentionally target Poland during the drone incursions, and its ally Belarus suggested that the drones had strayed due to jamming, European leaders remain convinced that these actions were a deliberate provocation by Russia.
In recent months, Polish aircraft have frequently been deployed to monitor the country’s airspace in relation to Russian airstrikes in Ukraine, typically occurring during the nighttime or early morning hours. In a related incident, Romania reported deploying two F-16 jets to intercept a drone that briefly entered its airspace on Saturday afternoon. The Romanian defense ministry stated that the drone did not fly over populated areas and posed no immediate threat to public safety. Specialist teams are now set to conduct searches for potential debris, although Romanian authorities did not specify the drone's origin.
