Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones Violating Its Airspace

Poland's military said it shot down intruding Russian drones after the NATO member and allies scrambled aircraft early on Wednesday in response to what it called an "unprecedented" violation of its airspace as Russian forces attacked in nearby western Ukraine.

The operational command of the Polish armed forces said in a post on X that "defensive procedures were immediately initiated" after Polish airspace was repeatedly violated "by drone-type objects" as Russian forces attacked in western Ukraine.

"As a result of today's attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory, an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drones occurred. This is an act of aggression that poses a real threat to the safety of our citizens," the Polish command said.

"Polish and allied assets monitored several objects by radar, and considering those that might pose a threat, the Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces decided to neutralize them," it said, adding: "Some of the drones that intruded into our airspace were shot down. Searches and location of the possible crash sites of these objects are ongoing."

The Polish military was monitoring the situation and "Polish and allied forces and assets remain on full alert."

Warsaw's Chopin Airport warned passengers on its website that flight operations were on hold due to closure of the airspace over part of the country "due to government and military security measures."

"The airport remains open, but there are currently no flight operations," it said.