Poland Activates Defense Amid Russian Air Incursion Threat

Amid growing tensions, Poland and its allies scrambled to activate military aircraft early Wednesday in a bid to secure its airspace after Russia reportedly launched an air offensive on Ukraine's western regions bordering NATO-member Poland.

The Polish armed forces stated on social media that their aircraft, in conjunction with allied forces, were deployed, and ground-based air defense systems were placed on heightened alert. This response came despite initial, subsequently retracted, reports from Ukraine's air force that Russian drones had breached Polish airspace, casting a potential threat over the city of Zamosc.

Since midnight GMT, major areas of Ukraine, including the western regions of Volyn and Lviv adjacent to Poland, remained under prolonged air raid alerts. Ukrainian news outlets reported several Russian drones crossing into Polish airspace, though Reuters was unable to verify these claims independently, and no formal confirmation came from the Polish authorities regarding the incursion.

(With inputs from agencies.)