Polish Fighter Jets Activated as Russia Targets Ukraine With Airstrikes

Polish and allied military aircraft were briefly scrambled on Monday morning, as Russia launched aerial strikes on Ukraine, prompting heightened vigilance in Polish airspace, the Polish armed forces said.

The Ukrainian air force issued multiple alerts early on Monday, warning that Russian drones were targeting large parts of Ukraine.

In response, Poland’s Armed Forces Operation Commander ordered the activation of all available air defense assets. Fighter jets on standby were scrambled, and ground-based air defense and radar systems were raised to their highest state of readiness, according to a military statement translated from Polish by ABC News.

The maneuvers were “preventative in nature,” the Polish military said, and intended to secure national airspace during the unfolding Russian attack on Ukraine.

About three hours later, around 7 a.m. local time, Polish military authorities reported that the immediate threat had subsided and that Polish and allied aircraft had resumed normal operations.

“We inform you that no violation of the airspace of the Republic of Poland has been observed,” the military confirmed in a follow-up statement.

The brief airspace alert underscores the continued regional tensions as Russia intensifies its drone and missile assaults on Ukraine, raising the risk of spillover effects into neighboring NATO member states like Poland.