Poland closed the southeastern section of its airspace on Sunday morning, citing “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security.” The move followed a large-scale Russian assault on Ukraine involving an estimated 500 drones and missiles. Several Ukrainian cities were hit in the overnight strikes, leaving multiple dead and injured.
Warsaw acted out of caution after a previous wave of attacks saw Russian drones stray into Polish airspace. In response, Poland and its allies scrambled fighter jets overnight to guard the skies, supported by a NATO refueling aircraft. The bombardment on Ukraine lasted roughly twelve hours.
Poland already maintains heightened defenses around a major logistics hub used to channel Western military aid into Ukraine. The base is partly secured by Dutch F-35 fighters, and Patriot missile defense systems are expected to be deployed later this year.
NATO allies have pledged and delivered support as part of Operation Eastern Sentry, an urgent mission launched after the earlier drone incident in Poland.
The airspace in eastern Poland has been reopened, and commercial airlines have resumed flying their routes.
