Russia has been accused in the past of briefly breaching NATO airspace while conducting airstrikes on Ukraine. On one occasion, a NATO country on the eastern flank was on high alert for several hours due to a massive Russian aerial attack on Ukraine.
Poland's forces had to closely monitor their border with Ukraine as Russian drones and missiles targeted Ukrainian territory. The Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces issued a warning to Polish nationals in the southeastern part of the country about increased noise levels due to the presence of jets. In the early hours of June 1, they stated: "The Operational Command of the Armed Forces is observing intense long-range aviation activity of the Russian Federation tonight, related to air and missile strikes on objects located in the territory of Ukraine."
The statement, published on X, mentioned that all necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace had been implemented. Three hours later, an update indicated: "It was a long, busy night for the entire air defence system in Poland."
After a "reduced level of threat of missile strikes by Russian aviation on the territory of Ukraine," the NATO aircraft operation in Poland concluded.
The message further read: "A massive long-range missile attack by the Russian Federation covered the entire territory of Ukraine, including the regions bordering Poland. The strikes were carried out using cruise missiles, Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles, and ballistic missiles launched from the Black Sea region."
During the early hours of Saturday, Russia once again targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian reports. Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, stated that two of its thermal power plants had suffered "serious damage." The widespread attack reportedly triggered air alerts across all of Ukraine, including areas bordering Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.
Poland's Armed Forces had previously deployed fighter jets on the night between May 25 and 26 to ensure the country's airspace remained secure.
NATO's concerns about Russian missiles breaching the airspace of countries neighboring Ukraine are not without basis. In March, Poland claimed a Russian cruise missile entered its airspace for nearly 40 seconds during another airstrike on Ukraine. A similar incident occurred in late December, prompting the Polish Foreign Ministry to summon Russian charge d'affaires Andrei Ordash.
Don't fuck with Russia!
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Delete