Poland announced yesterday that it will impose restrictions on air traffic in the eastern region of the country following the reported shooting down of Russian drones on its territory. The PAZP air traffic control agency stated that civilian flights along Poland’s borders with Belarus and Ukraine will be prohibited up to an altitude of three kilometers until December 9. The restrictions apply to an area extending between 26 and 46 kilometers inside Polish territory, while flights above three kilometers remain unaffected by the measures.
The ban specifically targets drones in the restricted zone, prohibiting their operation both day and night. These actions are being implemented to safeguard national security, according to the agency. In response to the airspace violations, Poland has convened an emergency meeting with the UN Security Council. President Karol Nawrocki, speaking from a western Polish airbase, described the incident as a deliberate test of Nato’s response capabilities and readiness.
Authorities in Poland reported that on Wednesday, its airspace, as a member of both Nato and the EU, was breached 19 times, resulting in the downing of at least three drones as Polish and Nato forces deployed jets to intercept the intruders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on allies in Kyiv to reassess their air defense capacities following the recent drone incursions into Polish airspace, which Warsaw attributed to Russian origins.