Poland raises air defence alert after Russian drone incident near NATO border
Polish forces placed air-defence systems and fighter jets on high alert after a Russian drone exploded about four kilometres from the NATO border.
On Thursday a Russian drone is believed to have crashed or been downed about four kilometres from the NATO-Poland border, triggering a rapid response from Polish defence forces. Colonel-senior lieutenant Jacek Goryszewski of the Polish operative command confirmed the explosion and said all relevant air-defence units, including ground-based radar and missile systems, were placed on full alert. Fighter jets were dispatched to patrol the airspace, and civilian air traffic at Lublin and Rzeszów airports was halted to give the military unrestricted movement.
Residents of the eastern provinces Lublin and Podkarpackie received a public emergency warning for the second day in a row. The operation follows a similar alert on Wednesday, reflecting heightened tension as Russia intensifies drone attacks near Ukrainian border crossings. Polish authorities stress the steps are purely preventive to safeguard national territory.
Why it matters
The incident shows how Russian attacks risk spilling over into NATO member Poland, raising regional security concerns.
How this story developed
- Sep 3 Polish fighters intercept Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane near Ustka
- Sep 8 Russian drones attacked the Starokozache crossing in Odesa, killing two civilians and injuring three, while a separate strike set fire to a building in Kyiv.
- Sep 9 NATO fighters intercepted a Russian drone over Romanian airspace.
- Sep 9 Russian drones hit a border crossing in Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing two civilians, and set fire to a building in Kyiv.
- Sep 12 Poland deployed a helicopter and raised its air‑defence alert following Russian drone attacks in western Ukraine.
- Sep 13 Polish combat aircraft were ordered to operate in national airspace in the early hours of Saturday.
- Sep 13 A Russian drone struck a passenger train locomotive within two kilometres of the Poland‑Ukraine border, causing no casualties.
- Sep 14 Poland deployed a helicopter to patrol its airspace and issued civilian alerts following the drone attacks.
- Sep 14 A train carrying former British prime minister Boris Johnson and other senior officials was reported to be near the drone strike.
- Sep 14 Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced Ukraine had offered its allies to secure an agreement with Russia to end destruction of critical infrastructure.
- Sep 15 Report clarified that the damaged locomotive was intended to adjust wheelsets for differing track gauges.
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