Poland scrambles fighter jets following largest Russian airstrikes on Ukraine

Poland scrambled fighter jets on June 9 morning to secure its airspace after a massive Russian missile and drone attack targeted western Ukraine, marking what local officials described as “the largest attack” on the region.

Warsaw’s Operational Command confirmed that “due to the intensive air attack by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft began to operate in Polish airspace in the morning,” Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

W związku z intensywnym atakiem powietrznym Federacji Rosyjskiej na terytorium Ukrainy, w godzinach porannych rozpoczęto aktywność polskich i sojuszniczych statków powietrznych w polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej.

Zgodnie z obowiązującymi procedurami Dowódca Operacyjny Rodzajów… pic.twitter.com/a727T5ALRD

— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) June 9, 2025

The strikes penetrated deep beyond the frontline zones, with dozens of drones and missiles reported to have hit Rivne and other areas in western Ukraine overnight. Rivne Mayor Oleksandr Tretyak characterized the assault as the most extensive bombardment the region has endured.

Russia’s recent escalation has dashed hopes for a ceasefire, despite renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict, the largest in Europe since World War II. Poland, a key NATO member and one of Ukraine’s closest allies, remains a crucial logistical hub for Western military aid flowing into Kyiv.

In recent months, Poland has experienced breaches of its airspace by Russian missiles, prompting demands for explanations from Moscow. In March 2024, a Russian cruise missile briefly entered Polish airspace, following a similar incident in December 2023.

Adding to the tension, Russia announced that its forces had advanced into Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, marking a notable territorial escalation amid stalled peace talks. Russia’s defence ministry claimed that tank units “reached the western border of the Donetsk People’s Republic and are continuing to develop an offensive in the Dnipropetrovsk region.”

While Kyiv’s top officials have not yet publicly responded to this claim, Ukraine’s southern army command asserted that “Russia does not give up its intentions to enter the Dnipropetrovsk region, but our fighters are bravely and professionally holding their section of the front line.”

The Dnipropetrovsk region has not been among the five Ukrainian territories—Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea—that Moscow demands Kyiv formally recognize as part of Russia. In the latest peace talks held in Istanbul on June 2, Moscow insisted on such recognition, which Ukraine has repeatedly rejected.

The ongoing conflict has caused tens of thousands of deaths, millions of displaced persons, and widespread destruction across eastern Ukraine.

By Vafa Guliyeva