Poland scrambles fighter jets, temporarily closes airports while Russian drones attack Ukraine
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Poland scrambled fighter jets and temporarily ceased operations of the airports in Lublin and Rzeszow on the morning of Sept. 16 as Russia launched drones against Ukraine, Polish authorities announced.
Around 7:00 a.m. local time, military aircraft took off and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were readied in response to Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces (DORSZ) announced on social media platform X.
This was a preventive measure to protect Polish airspace, particularly in the regions bordering Ukraine, DORSZ said. Shortly after 8:00 a.m. DORZS announced the operation had ended.
From 6:46 a.m. to 7:16 a.m., air raid alerts were issued in Ukraine's Volyn Oblast that borders Poland.
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) announced that the airports in Lublin and Rzeszow temporarily suspended flights while the military operation was ongoing at 7:00 am. After 40 minutes, PANSA said the airports resumed activity.
The Government Security Center issued alerts for residents of Lublin and Podkarpackie regions for half an hour, Polish newspaper TVN24 reported.
Russia launched drones overnight at western Ukraine also on Sept. 13, striking a gas station near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing and a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train just 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Polish border.
Poland is treating Russian drone strikes near its border with Ukraine and the attack on a passenger train with the "utmost seriousness," Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said Sept. 13.
It was later reported that former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European officials were on the train in front of the one that was attacked and had passed through the border crossing shortly before.
Russian drone strikes "close to NATO territory" demonstrate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s "desperation," NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte said on Sept. 14.
