Late on Tuesday night, panic swept through Poland after reports emerged that Russian drones, linked to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine, may have violated Polish airspace. In a swift response, Polish authorities ordered the shutdown of Warsaw’s main airport, Chopin Airport, along with three other airports, and scrambled fighter jets in coordination with NATO allies. The military also placed its air defence and radar reconnaissance systems on the highest alert, signalling the seriousness with which Warsaw treated the potential threat.
Initial claims from Ukraine’s air force suggested that Russian drones had crossed into Poland, allegedly endangering the city of Zamosc. However, the statement was later deleted from Ukraine’s official Telegram channel, raising uncertainty about the exact nature of the incident. Ukrainian media nonetheless reported that at least one drone was believed to be moving toward Rzeszów, a city in western Poland that plays a critical role as a hub for US and NATO military operations in support of Kyiv.
Poland’s operational command confirmed on X that both Polish and allied aircraft were actively patrolling the skies while land-based systems were fully activated. The US Federal Aviation Administration also issued a Notice to Airmen, attributing the closure of airports to “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security.” The disruption underscored the fragile security environment in Eastern Europe, where Poland’s geographical position makes it a frontline buffer state between Russia and NATO territory.
The scare coincided with a wave of intensified Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine, with large parts of the country—including the western border regions of Volyn and Lviv—under prolonged air raid alerts. In one of the deadliest incidents, Ukrainian officials reported that a Russian strike killed 24 elderly people in Yarova, a village near Sloviansk in Donetsk. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it another example of Moscow’s brutality and urging the United States, Europe, and the G20 to respond decisively to stop Russia’s war machine.
Amid rising tensions, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland would close its border with Belarus starting midnight on Thursday. The move came in reaction to the large-scale Russian-led "Zapad-2025" military exercises being conducted in western Russia and Belarus, which have stirred unease in Poland and neighbouring NATO members Lithuania and Latvia. The drills, designed to project Russian military might, have heightened fears of further spillovers from the war into NATO territory.
While Moscow has denied deliberately targeting civilians, the mounting civilian casualties and escalating cross-border tensions reflect the increasingly volatile nature of the conflict. For Poland and its NATO allies, the latest scare serves as a stark reminder of how easily the war in Ukraine could spiral into a broader regional confrontation.
