Poland scrambles fighter jets as Russia launches air attack on Ukraine
Poland scrambled aircraft and put its air defence systems on alert as Russia launched a new massive missile and drone attack on neighbouring Ukraine overnight into Saturday, military officials said.
Image:Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces
The Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces said in a statement that „all necessary procedures have been initiated to ensure the safety of Polish airspace.”
It added that it was „monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis.”
The statement also said that Polish and allied aircraft were activated early on Saturday, with the Operational Command cautioning the public of „increased noise levels, particularly in the southeast of the country,” near the Ukrainian border.
The alert was in effect until around 7 a.m., when the Operational Command noted „a decreased threat of missile strikes by Russian aircraft” on Ukrainian regions bordering Poland, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in the early hours of Saturday, targeting various regions across the country, including the western region of Lviv near the Polish border, according to officials.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 12 of 16 missiles and all 13 drones launched by Russia.
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Source: IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl
