Poland raises air defence readiness amid Russian drone activity

Poland temporarily placed certain air defence forces and assets on heightened readiness on September 10 in response to the activity of Russian jet-powered drones over western Ukraine.

The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command announced the move in a statement, according to European Pravda.

The command said the heightened readiness was introduced for a period of time due to increased activity by Russian jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles over western Ukraine. The measure was taken as a precaution to ensure the readiness of Poland's air defence systems in response to the activity near the country's eastern border.

“The measures were preventive in nature and were aimed at ensuring the security of Polish airspace, particularly in areas adjacent to territories subjected to Russian strikes. As the threat was eliminated, the alert was cancelled, and the forces and assets involved returned to standard operational activities,” the statement said.

On the evening of September 9, Khmelnytskyi came under Russian attack. Overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported Russian UAVs moving over northern Zhytomyr and Rivne regions, and later in the morning, UAVs were detected near Lutsk.

The Polish Defence Ministry had earlier announced the strengthening of the country’s airspace protection due to “Russian provocations.”

In particular, airspace restrictions were introduced in eastern Poland to facilitate the operation of air defence systems.