On December 6, sirens blared across several Lublin‑voivodeship municipalities, only to be later revealed as a mistaken alarm triggered without official clearance.
Sirens Activated Without Official Clearance
On the morning of Saturday, 6 December, residents of Lubartów, Firlej, Ostrów Lubelski, Uścimów, Michów, Niedźwiada, and Abramów heard emergency alarms warning of an air threat. Polish State Media confirmed that no directives came from the Voivodeship Crisis Management Centre or the National Security Centre.
County-Level Decision Made
The signal to activate the sirens came from the Lubartów County Crisis Management Centre, which had received a message allegedly from another county that necessitated an alarm. County Executive Jan Sławecki reported that the county centre received this information but it was not verified by the Voivodeship Centre. Consequently, the alarm was cancelled.
Municipalities Followed County Orders
Local officials treated the Lubartów county message as an official order. Mayor Krzysztof Paśnik of Lubartów explained that the municipal employee felt obligated to respond. Other towns likewise invoked procedures following the county notification, with Firlej village head Grzegorz Siwek also confirming the alarm on social media.
Alleged Source from Biłgoraj County Disputed
Sławecki claimed the “trigger phrase” originated in Biłgoraj County, but Biłgoraj County Executive Andrzej Szarlip denied any such transmission. Even if the message had come from Biłgoraj it would have been outside standard protocols. The Lublin governor’s spokesperson pledged a full investigation into the incident.
Airspace Activity Amidst Ukraine Conflict
Early Saturday morning, Polish and allied aircraft operated over Polish airspace in response to Russian military actions in Ukraine. At about 4 AM, the Armed Forces’ Operational Command notified that aircraft had been launched for a preventive mission, with air defence systems on standby. Mayor Paśnik noted that the sirens sounded in connection with the ongoing Ukrainian situation, and neighbouring eastern regions had also issued alerts following attacks that injured three people in the Kijów region and wounded an 11‑year‑old in the Dnipro area.