Polish military planes have departed for Oman to evacuate Polish citizens from the Middle East.
Operation Begins
The Polish Operational Command RSZ announced the start of operations under the PKW Middle East mission. Polish Air Force planes have left Poland to support the evacuation of Polish citizens from the region.
Military Deployment
Minister of Sport and Tourism Jakub Rutnicki stated military aircraft would depart for Oman Thursday morning. Earlier, Prime Minister Donald Tusk decided to use military planes to evacuate Poles and requested President Karol Nawrocki’s approval.
Polish Air Force planes were visible on FlightRadar en route to Muscat, Oman’s capital.
Presidential Decree
President Andrzej Duda, as commander-in-chief, approved the use of the Polish Military Contingent Middle East to evacuate Polish citizens from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE. Up to 150 soldiers may be deployed between March 5-31, 2026, particularly for evacuating those needing medical support.
Ministerial Announcements
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed two Boeing-737 military planes would lead the evacuation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially registered over 100 individuals requiring medical support for evacuation.
Ongoing Evacuations
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski reported four flights from the UAE and four from Oman to Poland this week. Nearly 250-300 people left Israel with consular support, and 800 departed Jordan. About 180 remain in Qatar and 1,428 in Oman.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimated tens of thousands of Poles in the broader Middle East region and urged registration in the Odyseusz system for potential return.
The evacuations follow recent U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, leading to retaliatory attacks and flight cancellations in the region.