On Thursday night, Poland scrambled fighter jets, placed its air defense forces on alert, and briefly activated air raid sirens in Lublin in response to a massive Russian aerial attack on Ukraine.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces reported this on X.
“Due to the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation carrying out strikes on Ukrainian territory, military aviation operations have begun in Polish airspace,” the command said.
According to the statement, in line with established procedures, the Operational Command deployed the necessary forces and resources: fighter jets and an airborne early warning aircraft were scrambled, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on heightened alert.
The command stressed that these measures were preventive and aimed at protecting Polish airspace, particularly in areas bordering territories threatened by Russian strikes.
According to Wirtualna Polska, air raid sirens sounded in Lublin at around 3:50 a.m. local time due to the threat of an aerial attack. Several minutes later, at 3:59 a.m., the all-clear was given.
Marcin Bubicz, spokesperson for the Lublin voivode, confirmed that the warning had been issued on the basis of information received from Poland’s Government Security Centre (RCB).
“I can confirm that there was indeed a threat of air strikes. This information came directly from the Government Security Centre. It is reliable and confirmed,” Bubicz said.
The alert was reportedly issued across the entire Lublin Voivodeship, with the exception of its northern counties.
