Poland scrambles warplanes as Russia conducts massive missile strike on Ukraine

On Tuesday, January 23, Poland scrambled its warplanes against the backdrop of activities of Russian long-range aviation. Allied aviation was also alerted, the Operational Command of the Polish Army said.

"There is intense activity of Russian long-range aviation associated with the intention to strike the territory of Ukraine. All necessary procedures have been launched to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, and the situation is constantly monitored. We are warning here that Polish and allied aircraft have been activated, which may lead to increased noise levels, especially in the south-eastern part of the country,” the command noted.

About three hours after the announcement, the Polish military leadership announced the cessation of the operation "due to a decrease in the level of threat.” The warplanes returned to their bases, but the Polish army continues to monitor the situation in Ukraine and to ensure the security of Polish airspace, the command added.

Poland's reaction was based on Russia's missile strikes on Ukraine. On Tuesday morning, January 23, explosions occurred in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities of Ukraine. The Russian Armed Forces launched Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles and other missile types in its latest strike on Ukraine. It was also said that the missiles were launched from six Tu-95MS and four Tu-22M3 strategic bombers.