Warplanes scrambled after warning from Ukraine; Poland to seal border over Russian and Belarus’s ‘very aggressive’ Zapad war games. What we know on day 1,295
Russian drones have been shot down after entering Nato-member Poland’s airspace. Poland’s armed forces operation command said: “During today’s attack by the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on targets located in the territory of Ukraine, our airspace was repeatedly violated by drone-type objects … We emphasise that the military operation is ongoing, and we urge people to stay at home. The most threatened areas are the Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lubelskie voivodeships [provinces].”
Ukraine had earlier warned about the drones, prompting Poland to scramble its own and Nato warplanes, place air defences and radar on high alert, and temporarily close some airports. A Polish defence minister, Cezary Tomczyk, said “an operation to neutralise objects that have violated and exceeded the border of the Republic of Poland is under way”.
It came after the Polish prime minister announced Poland will close its border with Belarus on Thursday as a result of the “very aggressive” Zapad military exercises being conducted by Belarus and Russia. Donald Tusk said it was also a response to a growing number of provocations from Russia and Belarus. Separately, Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, warned that “we do not trust Vladimir Putin’s good intentions”. Nawrocki continued: “While waiting, of course, for a long-term peace, permanent peace, which is necessary to our regions, we believe that Vladimir Putin is ready to also invade other countries.”
