Poland scrambles jets, places air defences on combat readiness

Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said Russian long-range aviation was active over Ukraine, prompting Warsaw to scramble its standby military aircraft.

Ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems were also placed on combat readiness, Caliber.Az reports.

“These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at ensuring the security and protection of Polish airspace, particularly in areas adjacent to threatened zones,” the command’s press service said on X.

❗️ Uwaga. W związku z aktywnością lotnictwa dalekiego zasięgu Federacji Rosyjskiej, wykonującego uderzenia na terytorium Ukrainy, rozpoczęło się operowanie lotnictwa wojskowego w polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej.

Zgodnie z obowiązującymi procedurami Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ… pic.twitter.com/49if0SmQBk

— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) September 8, 2026

Poland has repeatedly taken similar precautionary measures in response to Russian military activity near its borders and during major strikes on Ukraine.

In late July 2026, a Russian cruise missile entered Polish airspace and crashed in a field near Tarnawa-Kolonia during a large-scale attack on Ukraine, prompting NATO and Polish forces to scramble F-16 jets, an airborne early-warning aircraft, a tanker and a helicopter while placing ground defences on high alert.

Throughout July and early August 2026, Polish F-16s repeatedly intercepted Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft and occasionally Su-30 fighters flying near the Baltic coast without flight plans or active transponders, escorting them away without any airspace violation.

On August 20, 2026, Poland again scrambled jets and raised air-defence readiness as a precaution during another Russian missile and drone barrage targeting western Ukraine, with operations ending once the threat subsided and no Polish airspace breach recorded.

Earlier, on September  9–10, 2025, multiple Russian drones entered Polish airspace overnight, leading Polish and allied (including Dutch F-35) aircraft to scramble and shoot down several of them—the first such engagement by a NATO member during the war—while airports were temporarily closed.

By Jeyhun Aghazada