Poland activates air defenses during a new massive Russian attack on Ukraine

BarcelonaThe Polish Armed Forces' operational command closed part of its airspace on Sunday and activated air defenses—including the deployment of fighter jets—as a "preventive" measure following the latest Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian territory, in order to "ensure the security of the airspace."

The Polish defenses activated this Sunday are in response to the Russian attacks on Ukraine. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia launched 595 drones and 48 missiles overnight, primarily targeting Kiev, killing four people, including a 12-year-old girl. President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that the attack lasted more than 12 hours and caused damage to hospitals, factories, and residential buildings.

The Polish air force, in coordination with allied countries, has begun operating in Polish airspace in response to recent bombing raids by Russian long-range aircraft against Ukraine, the operational command said in a statement released on social media. "in accordance with applicable procedures" and activating all "forces and resources at its disposal."

As part of the operation, the Polish military has also strengthened surveillance in border regions to monitor the current situation and is keeping "its forces and resources ready in case an immediate response is necessary."

In this context, according to data from the flight tracking platform FlightRadar24 collected by the Polish broadcaster TVN24, the Warsaw authorities have temporarily closed the airspace around the airports of Rzeszów and Lublin, in southeastern Poland, on Sunday due to a state.

The Polish authorities have taken these measures after, in recent days, Russian planes and drones have violated the airspace of several NATO member states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Romania and Poland itself.

In addition, this Thursday the United States and Canada activated their defenses due to the threat of two Russian bombers and two fighters that entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, an area in international airspace where all aircraft are required to identify themselves due to the country's proximity to the United States. Given the lack of identification for Russian military aircraft, the Canadian and U.S. air forces sent a joint force of four fighters, four refueling planes, and a surveillance plane. The Russian planes turned around before entering Alaskan airspace.

Also this month, the militaries of Russia and Belarus (the Kremlin's main ally) have carried out maneuvers in Belarusian territory with several thousand troops and simulated nuclear weapons, about 450 kilometers from the Polish border. NATO responded by creating the Eastern Sentinel initiative to increase the defense levels of its member countries, especially those closest to Russia.

More bombings in Ukraine

Kiev was the target of the most massive attack of the early morning, with drones and missiles, although Russia also bombed other cities such as Zaporizhia and Khmelnytskyy. In Zaporizhia, located in the southeast of the country, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported that a school was damaged and a high-rise building burned after the impact of the projectiles. At least 16 people were reported injured in that city. Across the country, authorities have reported at least 67 injured.

Zelensky warned that Ukraine would retaliate and said that this "vile" attack shows that Moscow "wants to continue fighting and killing." Russia, for its part, admitted the bombing, but said it targeted military facilities and industrial enterprises that support Ukraine's armed forces.