Poland’s military was placed on high alert and scrambled jets in response to a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine early on Saturday.
Poland’s Military Response
The Polish Operational Command of the Armed Forces reported that all available forces and resources were activated, with standby fighter pairs scrambled and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reaching a state of highest readiness.
Russian Attack on Ukraine
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, saw rockets and drones strike various regions of Ukraine, including Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk. Air alerts were declared in Kyiv and many other regions.
In Dnipro and the surrounding region, several fires broke out, with high-rise buildings, private homes, and farm buildings damaged. One person was killed and 13 injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
De-escalation and Ongoing Monitoring
By around 7 a.m., the Polish Operational Command reported that Polish and allied aviation operations in Polish airspace had concluded, with activated ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems returning to standard operational activities.
The Polish military stated that their actions were preventive and aimed at securing airspace in areas adjacent to the threatened zone. They continue to monitor the situation on Ukrainian territory and remain on constant alert to ensure the security of Polish airspace.
