As Russia Pounds Ukraine Near Poland’s Border, NATO Member Scrambles Jets
Russian aircraft, including drones and fighter jets, have reportedly violated the airspace of several NATO nations. Image courtesy: X.com/@DowOperSZ
Poland said it scrambled fighter jets early on Sunday (October 5, 2025) after Russia launched a fresh wave of airstrikes on western Ukraine, with missiles and drones reported over the Lviv region — less than 70 kilometres from the Polish border.
In a statement on social media platform X, Poland’s operational command said: “Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness.”
Why is Europe on edge over its airspace?
The alert followed a series of recent airspace violations that have heightened tension across NATO’s eastern flank. In September, Polish air defences shot down suspected Russian drones over its territory, while drone sightings and incursions near Copenhagen and Munich disrupted air traffic across Europe.
In Lithuania, Vilnius airport was temporarily closed late on Saturday after reports of a possible cluster of balloons approaching the facility. Flight-tracking data showed rerouted commercial flights early on Sunday, avoiding Lublin and Rzeszów airports in eastern Poland — the hubs closest to the Ukrainian border.
Eurocontrol, the European air navigation agency, warned of “high delays in airspace managed by Poland due to the Ukraine situation.”
What is the situation in Ukraine?
At 3 am GMT, Ukraine’s Air Force said the entire country was “under threat of fresh Russian missile attacks,” following hours of air raid alerts across multiple regions. Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, said air defences were engaged heavily as missiles approached the city. “Air defence systems are working intensively to repel drone and missile attacks,” he said.
Residents reported hearing sustained explosions, believed to be air defence intercepts, from multiple directions. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Russia has not commented on the latest strikes. Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified cross-border attacks in recent weeks, targeting energy and transport infrastructure seen as critical to sustaining the war effort.
