NATO fighter jets were scrambled and air defense units put on alert in the early hours of Sunday in response to a major Russian drone and missile strike on Ukraine, the Polish Operational Command said in posts to X.
"Due to the activity of the Russian Federation's long-range aviation, which is carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace," the command said in a statement.
"On-duty fighter pairs have been scrambled, and ground-based air defense systems as well as radar reconnaissance have reached a state of highest readiness," the post added.
"These actions are of a preventive nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions," it said.
Dutch F-35 stealth fighters and a German Patriot surface-to-air missile system were among the forces put on alert, the command added. Airspace over Lublin and Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border was also briefly closed.
The alert ended after around three-and-a-half hours with no reported violations of Polish airspace, the command said.
There have been no reported violations of Polish airspace by long-range Russian drones since dozens crossed into the country during strikes on Ukraine on Sept. 10, prompting Polish and allied jets to shoot down several.
Kyiv was the focus of the overnight Russian strikes. Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy and Odesa were also attacked, President Voloydmyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram. The barrage lasted for more than 12 hours, the president said.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 593 drones and 50 missiles of various types, making the overnight barrage the largest combined strike on Ukraine since Sept. 7.
Defenders downed or suppressed 566 drones and 45 missiles, the air force said. Five missiles and 31 drones impacted across 16 locations, the force said.
"As of now, there are over 15 locations with damage," Tkachenko said. "Among them are drone strikes on multi-story residential buildings." Tkachenko reported damage in at least five city districts.
Zelenskyy again called for more international measures to choke Russia's energy export industry. "We count on a strong response from the U.S., Europe, the G7 and the G20," he wrote.
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