POLAND scrambled fighter jets and raised the alert status of its air defence systems early on Sunday following a wave of Russian airstrikes on western Ukraine, with missile and drone activity reported near the Polish border.
"Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness," Reuters reported Poland’s Operational Command stating on X (formerly Twitter).
The escalation comes amid growing concerns among NATO’s eastern-flank members after a series of airspace violations in recent months, including the downing of a suspected Russian drone over Polish territory in September. Unidentified aerial objects have also caused airport disruptions in cities such as Copenhagen and Munich.
Ukrainian officials confirmed Russian missiles were approaching Lviv, a major western city located just 70 kilometres from Poland. The city’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, said air defence systems were already active in repelling an earlier drone assault when the missile threat intensified.
“All of Ukraine is under threat of missile attack,” Ukraine’s Air Force warned at 0300 GMT, after hours of air raid sirens rang out across the country.
Reuters reporters in the Lviv region said they heard heavy activity from air defence systems operating “from all directions” as the attacks continued.
While the extent of any damage remained unclear as of Sunday morning, the renewed barrage underscores the continued targeting of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, including energy and transport hubs, by both sides in the ongoing war.
Airspace disruption extended beyond Ukraine. Lithuania temporarily shut down its main airport in Vilnius overnight on Saturday following reports of suspected balloons near the airfield. Meanwhile, flight tracking data from Flightradar24 suggested rerouted commercial traffic over Poland, particularly near Lublin and Rzeszów — airports often used for humanitarian and military logistics in support of Ukraine.
Though Reuters could not independently verify the rerouting data, Eurocontrol — the European air traffic control body — warned of significant delays in Polish-managed airspace due to “the Ukraine situation.”
As of early Sunday, there were no official notices from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regarding flight restrictions in the affected Polish regions.
The latest developments come as regional defence planners continue to brace for the risk of escalation along NATO’s eastern frontier, with growing calls for reinforced aerial surveillance and response capabilities. - October 5, 2025
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