Poland scrambles jets as Russia launches mass attack on Kyiv

WARSAW

Polish Air Force jets were scrambled and the country’s air defense systems went on high alert early Sunday after Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, said the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command.

“On-duty fighter pairs and an early warning aircraft were scrambled, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness,” the command wrote on X.

According to the statement, the move was preventive and aimed at ensuring the security of Polish airspace, particularly along the border with Ukraine, where Russian strikes have intensified in recent days.

Polish fighter jets and air defense units were poised to intervene if incoming threats approached or crossed into Poland. At no point was Polish airspace violated, the military stressed.

The operational command also expressed gratitude to NATO allies, including the Allied Air Command and the air forces of Germany and the Netherlands.

Ukrainian officials said the Russian military on Saturday night launched a coordinated attack involving multiple missiles and suicide drones on the capital Kyiv and other regions. The incident marks one of the most significant escalations of cross-border hostilities since the start of the Ukraine war on Feb. 24, 2022, four years ago this week.