Poland scrambles jets, closes airports as Russia hits western Ukraine near border

Poland scrambled fighter jets and shut two airports on Thursday as Russia unleashed a “massive attack” on western Ukraine within miles of the Nato border, The Telegraph reports.

Rzeszów and Lublin airports suspended flights before Poland’s army confirmed no violation of its own airspace had occurred and stood its aircraft down.

“A massive attack on the western part of Ukraine – very close to the Polish border – has just ended,” Polish prime minister Donald Tusk told a news conference, adding that a petrol station was likely hit again.

A Polish military official further noted a drone had crashed or been shot down roughly two miles from the border, while residents in two eastern regions received shelter alerts.

It marked the second time in two days that Lublin and Rzeszów suspended flights, following a similar scramble on Wednesday.

The repeated incursions underscore how Russia has been steadily testing Nato’s resolve along the Polish border in recent weeks, keeping the alliance on edge.