Amidst Russian Attacks, Poland Shuts Airspace and NATO Bolsters Security in the Baltic

As Russia continued its attacks on Ukraine, a section of Polish airspace southeast of the capital was briefly closed on Sunday due to “unplanned military activity.” The Polish armed forces confirmed they deployed fighter jets as a proactive step to safeguard the country’s airspace and protect its citizens. The airspace closure, affecting the cities of Lublin and Rzeszów, was intended to remain in effect until early morning. Concurrently, Ukraine’s air force reported that air raid sirens were activated nationwide from 03:00 GMT on Sunday in response to the ongoing Russian missile strikes. Early in the month, Polish and NATO forces had intercepted Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace, which marked the first direct military clash with Moscow since the 2022 invasion. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioned NATO and the European Union that any form of aggression directed toward Russia would be met with a firm response. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Lavrov stated that Moscow had no intention of attacking the West but would respond if provoked. In a related development, NATO revealed its plan to enhance its mission in the Baltic Sea, including the deployment of an air defense frigate and other assets, such as “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms,” as a reaction to drone incursions near Denmark. Unidentified drones were sighted near Danish military installations overnight on Saturday, prompting authorities to classify these incidents as hybrid attacks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described this as “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.” Copenhagen Airport, the busiest in the Nordic region, was forced to close temporarily, while five smaller Danish airports, both civilian and military, also shut down for short periods in the following days. In neighboring Norway, police confirmed they were investigating potential drone sightings near Oerland air force base, the central hub for the country’s F-35 jets. In Germany, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that a drone “swarm” was spotted over Schleswig-Holstein, and expressed his intention to revise air safety laws, enabling the armed forces to shoot down drones. On Friday, defense ministers from approximately ten EU countries expressed their interest in prioritizing the construction of a “drone wall” to secure their borders. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by stating that the measures would lead to “an increase in military and political tensions on our continent,” and further claimed that the plans reflected “personal ambitions and political games of the EU’s ruling elites.”