Poland and its NATO allies scrambled fighter aircraft early on Tuesday after Russia launched airstrikes targeting western Ukraine close to the Polish border, the Polish armed forces said.
The military said the move was a precautionary step to protect Polish airspace. Fighter jets were deployed and ground-based air defence and radar systems were placed on heightened alert as the strikes unfolded.
“These measures are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing and protecting the airspace, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions,” Poland’s operational command said in a statement on social media.
The alert was later lifted after the situation stabilised. Polish authorities said no violations of Poland’s airspace were detected during the operation. Later, Poland thanked NATO’s air command as well as Spanish and Dutch forces for supporting the mission.