WARSHAW, Feb 7: Poland scrambled military aircraft and placed air defence systems on high alert on Saturday following what it described as Russian long-range aviation activity linked to the war in Ukraine, the country’s Armed Forces Operational Command said.
“Due to activity by Russian long-range aviation operating in connection with strikes carried out on targets in Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft have begun operating in Polish airspace,” the command said in a statement posted on X.
Ground-based air defence units and radar reconnaissance systems were also put on heightened readiness, the statement said, describing the steps as precautionary measures aimed at protecting areas near Poland’s eastern border.
Poland, a NATO member that borders Ukraine, has issued similar alerts repeatedly as the conflict has continued, often coinciding with air raid warnings issued by Ukrainian authorities.
This comes as fierce fighting continues along the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces despite freezing winter conditions, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii said, noting that the front line now stretches roughly 1,200 kilometres across eastern and southern Ukraine. Syrskii said advances in drone warfare have expanded the so-called “kill zone” on the battlefield to as much as 20 kilometres in depth.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 328 drones and seven missiles overnight into Friday, claiming air defences intercepted 297 drones. One person was killed and two others injured in a Russian drone and glide-bomb attack on the central Dnipropetrovsk region, regional officials said.
In the southern Zaporizhia region, a Russian aerial strike injured eight people and damaged 18 apartment buildings.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defences shot down 38 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 over the Bryansk region, where temporary power outages were reported. In Belgorod, Ukrainian strikes damaged power facilities, disrupting electricity supply to parts of the city, Russian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the air force’s response in some regions as “unsatisfactory” and called for faster efforts to strengthen air defences and restore electricity and heating systems. He said more than 1,110 apartment buildings remained without heat following recent Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Polish officials have said the measures are necessary to ensure the security of Polish airspace amid heightened regional tensions.(UNI)
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