Poland demands explanation from Russia as Polish F-16s scrambled in response to missile breach

In an alarming development on Sunday, Poland scrambled F-16 fighter jets, demanding an urgent explanation from Russia following a concerning incident of the Russian missiles briefly breaching Polish airspace during a missile barrage on Ukraine.

This marked Russia's third major missile attack on Ukraine in the past four days and the second to specifically target the capital, Kyiv.

According to Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, Russia employed cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers. An air alert in Kyiv extended over two hours as rockets streamed into the city from the north.

The attacks reportedly originated from the Engels district in Russia's Saratov region.

Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command, a key NATO member, reported a violation of Polish airspace at 4:23 a.m. local time by one of the cruise missiles launched by Russia against towns in western Ukraine.

The missile entered near Oserdow, a village in an agricultural region near the Ukrainian border, and lingered in Polish airspace for 39 seconds. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Russia intended for the missile to enter Polish territory. Cruise missiles possess the capability to alter their trajectory to evade air defense systems.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized in a televised news conference that the Russian missile would have been intercepted had it been on a trajectory toward a target in Poland.

The Polish military, in coordination with NATO, promptly activated F-16s as part of its strategic response.

The diplomatic repercussions of the breach were swift. The Polish foreign ministry announced its intention to demand explanations from Russia for violating its airspace and called for an immediate halt to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Andrzej Szejna, a deputy foreign minister, indicated that the ministry would summon the Russian ambassador to Poland to deliver a formal protest note.

Residents near the breach site in Oserdow described witnessing the missile's passage, with Henryk Zdyb, the village head, recounting a "whistling sound" as the missile streaked overhead.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the proximity of the conflict to Poland, with commentator Artur Bartkiewicz remarking in the Rzeczpospolita newspaper on Sunday that the war is unfolding "right next to us," positioning the country within the broader confrontation between the West and Russia.

Source: AP