Poland deploys air defences as Russia launches new strikes on Ukraine

As Russia launched new deadly airstrikes against neighboring Ukraine, Polish and allies have been deployed to secure the nation’s airspace, according to its military.

In response to alleged Russian airspace incursions and drone sightings in several member states, NATO’s transatlantic security bloc increased its air patrols across the region on Sunday.

Poland’s operational command stated in a post on X early on Sunday that “polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest level of readiness.”

These actions, according to the statement, are preventive in nature and aim to protect people from harm, particularly in areas close to the threatened region.

The Polish military stated that its forces under its control “remain fully prepared for immediate response” and that it is monitoring the current situation.

Poland and Ukraine are estimated to travel 530 kilometers (329 miles).

Following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks, Ukraine was currently on air raid alerts for the entire country as of 02:10 GMT.

Ivan Fedorov, the region’s head of southeast Zapoprizhia, claimed in a statement posted on Telegram that a 16-year-old girl was among the victims of a “combined strike” by Russia that left six people dead and injured.

After Russia launched a significant attack across Ukraine in late September, Poland&nbsp was forced to temporarily close some of its airspace southeast of Warsaw.

Russian drones&nbsp entered Poland’s airspace earlier that month, marking their first direct military engagement with Moscow since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine&nbsp, which started in 2022.

After being closed for hours for a “series of balloons” in its airspace, NATO member Lithuania reopened its main airport on Sunday.