Russian strikes on western Ukraine trigger alarm in Poland: fighter jets scrambled, Rzeszow and Lublin airports briefly closed

Air-raid sirens sounded in eastern Poland, military jets were scrambled and two airports temporarily suspended flights on Thursday, as Russian strikes on Ukraine landed very close to the border with the NATO member, Polish and Ukrainian authorities said.

Poland’s military said no violation of Polish airspace was recorded and that the military aircraft completed their operations; the Rzeszow and Lublin airports reopened after the temporary closure.

“A massive strike on western Ukraine — very close to the Polish border — has just ended,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared at a press conference. “A fuel depot was likely hit again and our aircraft were scrambled.”

Lt. Col. Jacek Goryszewski told private broadcaster TVN24 that a drone had been downed or fallen about 4 kilometres from the Polish border. A Ukrainian official told Reuters that explosions were heard several kilometres from the border, on the Ukrainian side. On Sunday, a Russian drone struck a passenger train just two kilometres from the Ukraine–Poland border.

Residents of two eastern Polish regions received alerts warning them of the risk of air strikes and were advised to find a safe place. Local media reported that sirens were heard; footage from state channel TVP Info showed the evacuation of children from a school in the eastern city of Lublin.

Source: Reuters