Shock in Eastern Europe: Poland Closes Airports Amid Russian Attacks
Russia launches drones and missiles on Ukraine. Poland activates air defense, suspends airport operations, and monitors skies with NATO support.
image for illustrative purpose
The Polish government measures included fighter jets preparation, temporary closing of two civil airports, and readiness of air defense systems early on Thursday to counter the Russian air attack on Ukraine which was considered the largest, according to the officials.
The Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces declared that every possible action was taken to protect Polish skies and to keep a tight watch on the situation. “We are covering every inch with security,” the spokesperson proclaimed.
In the morning, Polish and allied planes were sent to the sky, especially in the areas close to the Ukrainian border, the command reported. As a result, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) stopped all flights at the airports of Radom and Lublin, allowing the military flights to proceed without any hitches.
The Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported that operations at both airports had already resumed by 9:30 a.m. The Operational Command stated that the threat of Russian missile attacks in the regions adjacent to Poland was reduced by 10:30 a.m., so returning aircraft were no longer necessary. There were no incidents of violating Polish airspace.
The command expressed gratitude for NATO's Air Command and allied air forces' support, and among others, Norway, Spain, and Turkey were mentioned for their jets helping to maintain security over Poland. In addition, Germany played a role in reinforcing the country’s protective measures through its Patriot missile defense deployment.
On the other hand, over in Ukraine, officials reported that there was a new wave of missile and drone strikes overnight that affected several regions. The preliminary reports showed that the energy grid was damaged, there were power outages and a total of at least 13 people were injured, including six kids.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Russia had on that night attacked with more than 650 drones and over 50 missiles. “The majority were neutralized, but a few did hit the places they were aimed at,” wrote Zelensky on the social platform X, mentioning that at least 2 people lost their lives as a result of the airstrikes on Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
He called for more sanctions against Russia, saying that it is essential to apply pressure on the oil and gas sector, financial networks, and war supporters of the country.
Russia's incursion into Ukraine was on February 24, 2022, and it was the biggest European war since World War II. Thursday marked the 1,345th day of hostilities.
