Poland scrambles jets, puts air defense on high alert during Russian missile attack on Ukraine
Polish and other allied aircraft were quickly mobilized on Feb. 1 in response to a large-scale missile attack by Russia on western Ukraine, Poland's Armed Forces reported on X.
"Attention, due to the attack of the Russian Federation performing strikes on facilities located in the west of Ukraine, among others, the operation of Polish and allied aviation in our airspace has begun,” the statement said.
All available forces and means were activated during the attack, the command said, adding that it was constantly monitoring the situation.
In accordance with procedures, fighter jets were dispatched, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance assets were put on high alert, the Polish military said.
Russia launched a combined attack of 165 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles at Ukraine overnight and in the morning on Feb. 1, Ukraine's Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defense intercepted 56 Russian UAVs, the Air Force said.
At least seven people were killed and 14 injured in a residential building strike in Poltava. Civilian entreprises and infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytsky, and Kyiv oblasts were damaged, according to the report.
Poland has scrambled jets amid Russian attacks on Ukraine several times over the past year.
Natalia Yermak
