Tue Feb 25 16:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Polish Air Force Scrambles, Then Stands Down, After Russian Strikes on Ukraine
**WARSAW/LONDON** – Poland briefly scrambled its military aviation early Tuesday morning in response to a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on western Ukraine. The Polish Operational Command confirmed the deployment, stating that the action was taken due to Russian long-range aviation activity targeting areas near the Polish border. All available forces and resources, including ground-based air defense and radar systems, were put on high alert.
The Polish military maintained a state of readiness for approximately four hours before standing down. The Operational Command reported no violations of Polish airspace. However, the heightened alert underscores the ongoing risks posed by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 213 drones and seven missiles in the attack, claiming to have intercepted six missiles and 133 drones. Western Ukraine, and much of the country, was placed under air raid alerts. These nightly attacks have become commonplace as the war nears its fourth year.
This incident follows a series of escalating Russian attacks, including Saturday’s record-breaking drone strike of 267 UAVs. While Poland has previously reported airspace violations by both Russian and Ukrainian projectiles, Tuesday’s scramble marks a significant response to the escalating threat. In 2022, two people were killed in Poland by a stray Ukrainian missile, and Warsaw has on several occasions accused Russia of violating its airspace. Other NATO allies, including Romania and Latvia, have also reported similar airspace breaches by Russian drones. The Polish military continues to monitor the situation closely.
First Piper 