Poland reopens Warsaw airspace after Russian drone incursion

Reuters reported, quoting the Polish Army, that operations involving Polish and allied aircraft in response to the airspace violations have now concluded. Parts of a damaged drone were found in the eastern village of Czosnowka. Authorities in the Lublin region declared an alert, warning residents to stay at home till further update.

In south-eastern Poland, near a cemetery in the town of Czesniki, authorities found parts of a drone, the local prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday. Earlier, Poland shot down drones that had entered its airspace during Russian attack on western Ukraine. Poland, called the drone incursion “an act of aggression.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, minutes after the incident, posted on X that the Russian drones crossing into Polish territory, a NATO country, represent a clear expansion of President Vladimir Putin’s war.

“Russian drones flying into Poland during the massive attack on Ukraine show that Putin’s sense of impunity keeps growing because he was not properly punished for his previous crimes,” Sybiha wrote on X.

“The longer he faces no strong response, the more aggressive he becomes. A weak response now will only provoke Russia further,  and then missiles and drones could strike even deeper into Europe.”

Sybiha further wrote that such events show why NATO needs to use its air defence systems to stop drones and missiles in Ukrainian airspace, especially those that could cross into NATO countries.

Poland has been on high alert since 2022, after a stray Ukrainian missile landed in a Polish village, killing two people.

Meanwhile, Russia and Belarus’ ongoing military exercises, called “Zapad drills,” have raised concerns in neighbouring NATO countries, forcing Poland to issue an advisory of a border closure if things escalate.

Earlier on Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held an emergency meeting with security ministers and said he was in constant contact with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The military tracked more than 10 drone-like objects, and those considered dangerous were shot down. Chopin Airport in Warsaw temporarily closed its airspace, along with airports in Rzeszów, Modlin, and Lublin.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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