Poland puts air defense systems on alert over Russian air attack on Ukraine

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Poland put its air defense systems on alert as Russia launched a new massive air attack on Ukraine overnight and into Wednesday morning, military officials said Wednesday.

The Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces said in a statement on US social media company X that "all necessary procedures have been initiated to ensure the safety of Polish airspace." It added that it was "monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis … ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have returned to standard operational activity."

"We thank NATO, Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), and the Royal Netherlands Air Force for their support, whose F-35 fighters helped ensure security in Polish skies tonight," the statement said.

Reports of attacks in Ukraine hit many regions. In the town of Znamyanka, Kirovohrad Oblast, five people were injured and 17 buildings were damaged, according to Andriy Raikovych, head of the regional military administration.

Ukraine's air force said it shot down 430 of 502 drones and 21 of 24 missiles launched by Russia overnight. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that a Russian attack drone flew into Ukraine from Belarusian territory on Tuesday, the first time in nearly two months that Russia has used Belarusian airspace to launch an attack. Poland’s Operational Command reported no violations of Polish airspace during the Russian airstrikes on Ukraine.

The Polish statement added that Polish Operational Command called the alert until around 8 am, when it noted a lowered threat of Russian strikes on Ukrainian regions bordering Poland.

“We thank NATO Air Command and the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force for their support," the operational command said. Dutch F-35 fighter jets helped ensure the safety of Polish airspace.