NATO member Poland scrambled fighter jets overnight after Russia carried out fresh strikes on Ukraine ahead of peace talks kicking off on Tuesday.
The Polish military initially said it had put its ground-based air defense and radar systems on high alert, but said in a later update that no objects had violated Polish airspace from Ukraine.
“These actions are of a preventive nature and are aimed at securing and protecting the airspace, particularly in areas adjacent to threatened regions,” the country’s operational command said in a statement.
German aircraft deployed in Poland were also involved, Warsaw’s military said. Five German fighter jets arrived in the country in December for a rotation of a NATO initiative designed to protect Polish airspace.
It is a fairly regular occurrence for Poland to quickly get fighter jets airborne to shield the country’s airspace when Russia launches large-scale aerial attacks on Ukraine, particularly when Moscow targets areas close to the Polish border.
This is a developing story. More to follow.