Tensions in eastern Europe escalated early Wednesday as Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to a wave of Russian airstrikes targeting western Ukraine- including areas near the Polish border.
The Polish Armed Forces confirmed that fighter jets from Poland and allied nations were launched in the early hours to secure the country’s airspace, as Russian missiles and drones struck multiple targets in western Ukraine.
According to a statement posted by Poland’s military operations command on X (formerly Twitter), the decision was made to ensure national air defence readiness amid increasing proximity of strikes to NATO territory.
At around 05:15 local time (Athens), a large portion of western Ukraine remained under air raid alerts for nearly three hours, as missile and drone activity intensified.
Meanwhile, Russian officials reported that two Ukrainian drones were intercepted by air defence systems en route to Moscow. The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed via Telegram that no casualties or damage had been reported.
In a separate statement, Russia’s civil aviation authority (Rosaviatsia) suspended all flights from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for roughly 90 minutes as a precaution, citing air traffic safety.
The incident marks a sharp reminder of the fragile security situation along NATO’s eastern flank. While Poland has not reported any incursions into its airspace, military readiness has been heightened amid growing concerns about the spillover effects of the war in Ukraine.
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