Polish Fighters Scramble as Unidentified Objects Trigger Airspace Alerts
Warsaw, Poland – Polish fighter jets were again activated Thursday following reports of unidentified objects in Polish airspace, prompting heightened alert levels. This incident follows a recent event where a suspected Russian drone crashed in Poland, raising concerns about potential airspace violations and escalating regional tensions.
The alerts came as residents in Romania’s Tulcea County, bordering Ukraine’s Odessa region, received emergency warnings via smartphone regarding a threat from the sky. Romanian Air Force F-16 fighters were deployed to monitor the situation in Romanian airspace, according to Antenna 3 CNN.
Reports indicate a Russian drone crossed into Romanian airspace, prompting an intercept by Romanian fighters who pursued the drone approximately 20 km southwest of the village of Kiliy-Veke. The drone “disappeared from radar” and wreckage reportedly fell on the Ukrainian city of Kilia.
The Romanian Ministry of Defence stated the drone did not overfly populated areas and posed no direct threat to the population, adding that the situation is under control via radar and aircraft.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted the drone penetrated Romanian airspace for approximately 50 minutes, traveling about 10 kilometers into NATO territory. Zelenskyy characterized the incident as a deliberate escalation of the war by russia, dismissing the possibility of accidental misdirection.He called for a decisive response.
the incidents occur amid ongoing Russian-Belarusian military exercises, with former Polish President Andrzej Duda suggesting the drone incident could be a provocation linked to these exercises, perhaps signaling a broader campaign of air provocations.
President Zelenskyy has urged NATO to deliver a strong response to the Russian provocation, suggesting increased weapons supplies to Ukraine as a potential measure.
