'Airspace repeatedly violated': Poland shoots down Russian drones; key airports shut

The Polish military on Wednesday claimed that it shot down drones that entered its airspace during a Russian strike on Ukraine.

"During today's attack by the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on targets located in Ukraine, our airspace was repeatedly violated by drone-type objects. An operation is underway to identify and neutralise these objects," a statement from Poland’s Operational Command posted on X.





Earlier, Polish and allied aircraft were deployed early on Wednesday to protect Poland's airspace after Russia carried out air strikes on Ukraine’s western regions near the Polish border, news agency Reuters reported.

The European country has also closed four airports including Warsaw International Airport. The other three closed airports are the Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport, the Warsaw Modlin Airport, the Lublin airport, the FAA notices showed.

"Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness," the operational command of the Polish armed forces said on X.

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on the US Federal Aviation Administration website said Warsaw Chopin Airport was closed "due to unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security."

Earlier, Ukraine’s air force said Russian drones had crossed into Nato-member Poland’s airspace, posing a threat to the city of Zamosc. The statement was later removed from the air force’s Telegram channel.

This comes after Polish President Karol Nawrocki warned on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to invade other countries following the conflict in Ukraine. "We do not trust Vladimir Putin's good intentions," Nawrocki told reporters at a press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki.

Nato-member Poland, a major supporter of Ukraine, hosts over a million Ukrainian refugees and is a key transit point for Western humanitarian and military aid to the war-torn country.