On September 13 (local time), Poland deployed Polish and allied aircraft in its airspace to prepare for the threat of Russian drone attacks.
According to the Associated Press, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command announced that ground-based air defense and reconnaissance systems were on the highest alert that day. The command emphasized that this measure is preventive in nature and aims to secure Polish airspace and protect its citizens. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also stated, "In response to the threat of Russian drones flying near the Polish border over Ukrainian airspace, preventive operations involving Polish and allied aircraft have begun in our airspace."
The Polish aviation authorities announced that Lublin Airport, located in eastern Poland, was closed due to military aviation activity. Although the duration of the closure was not specified, a spokesperson for the airport told the Polish news agency PAP that it would last until 6 p.m.
On the same day, Russian drones also appeared in Romanian airspace, which borders Ukraine, prompting the scramble of two fighter jets. The Romanian Ministry of Defense believes that Russian drones violated Romanian airspace while attacking Ukrainian infrastructure.
Recently, as Russia has focused its airstrikes on Ukraine using drones, there have been frequent incidents of Russian drones violating the airspace of neighboring countries. The Polish government announced that on the morning of September 10, there were 19 confirmed airspace violations, and that 3 to 4 Russian drones were shot down. To intercept the Russian drones, the Polish Air Force immediately scrambled F-16 fighter jets.
At that time, Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was invoked, and Dutch F-35 fighter jets were urgently deployed to support the interception operation. Italy's Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) and Germany's Patriot air defense system were also activated. Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows an allied country whose territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened to request urgent consultations. In response to the Russian threat, NATO launched a new mission called "Eastern Sentry" from the previous night.
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