Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday condemned a reported violation of Poland's airspace during overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine. "France strongly condemns the Russian strikes that killed civilians in Ukraine, as well as the violation of Polish airspace," Macron said through US social media company X. He further voiced continued support for Ukraine and Poland, emphasizing the matter as one of collective security.
According to Anadolu Agency, European Council President Antonio Costa also reacted to the reported airspace violation, stating that Russia's actions threatened Europe's overall security. "Last night, Russia launched a massive combined strike against Ukraine. During the attack, Polish airspace was also violated, underlining once again that Russia's aggression is a threat to the security of Europe as a whole," Costa articulated on X. He expressed "full solidarity" with Polish and Ukrainian authorities and recalled the bloc's efforts to enhance Ukraine's air defense capabilities. "Europe will continue to stand united in the face of this aggression," Costa added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen further described the airspace violation as "unacceptable" and expressed support for Poland. "Another unacceptable violation of our EU airspace caused by Russia's latest strikes on Ukraine, this time over Poland," von der Leyen stated on X. She reaffirmed efforts to build a robust European security architecture on land, at sea, and in the air.
According to Polish broadcaster TVP World, the eastern Polish city of Lublin and the nearby town of Krasnystaw were awakened by warning sirens early Thursday after the Government Centre for Security activated its alert system due to Russian strikes near the border. The alarms lasted several minutes as the Operational Command of the Armed Forces deployed fighter jets and an airborne early warning aircraft, placing air defense and radar systems on heightened alert, the broadcaster reported.
The command indicated that one object came within about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of the Polish border before changing direction, while another briefly entered Polish airspace, prompting the deployment of an F-16 fighter jet to identify it.