Poland said it has shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace during a bombardment of Ukraine.
Warsaw said early Wednesday that it and its NATO allies had shot down Russian drones that violated Polish airspace in what it called an “act of aggression” as Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine.
Warsaw’s Chopin Airport suspended flights for several hours, citing the closure of airspace due to military operations.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that early indications suggest the drone incident was intentional.
“Last night in Poland we saw the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental,” Kallas said in a statement.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media that “Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.”
Poland’s armed forces were on a heightened state of alert overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday because of what they described as “further massive airstrikes against targets located in Ukraine.”
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on X that “more than 10 objects” crossed into Polish air space and those that constituted a risk to Poland’s security were neutralized. He thanked NATO Air Command and The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force for supporting the action with F-35 fighter jets.
The Polish armed forces that authorities were conducting a search for possible crash sites, calling on people not to approach, touch or move any objects they see as they may contain hazardous material.
