Russian Drone Strike Triggers Air Alert in Poland

Air raid sirens sounded across parts of eastern Poland on Thursday as the military scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian strikes on western Ukraine close to the Polish border. Residents of the Lublin and Podkarpackie regions received emergency alerts warning of a possible air attack and urging them to seek shelter.

The Polish Armed Forces said no violation of the country’s airspace had been detected and later stood down the operation after the threat had passed.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Russia had launched an attack on western Ukraine very close to the Polish border, near Dorohusk, and that a petrol station appeared to have been targeted. “There was a very powerful explosion. Our aircraft were scrambled”, he said.

Lt Col Jacek Goryszewski, spokesman for the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, said a jet-powered drone had rapidly approached the Polish border, prompting the military to activate fighter jets and ground-based air defense systems. Initial indications suggested that the drone either struck its target or was shot down around 4 km from the border on the Ukrainian side.

Ukrainian law enforcement sources also reported explosions several kilometers from the Polish border in the direction of Yahodyn.

On Sunday, a Russian drone struck a passenger train just 2 km from the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Residents across parts of eastern Poland were warned of a possible air attack and told to seek shelter. Polish media also reported air raid sirens sounding in Lublin, Rzeszów and other areas in the east of the country.

(Reuters, bak)