Poland Scrambles Military Aircraft and Halts Airports as Russian Drones Hit Western Ukraine

Poland scrambled military aircraft and placed air-defence and radar units on alert on October 18 as Russian drones attacked western Ukraine near the Polish border. Poland's Operational Command described the response as precautionary, while the air navigation authority temporarily suspended flights at Lublin and Rzeszów airports to accommodate military operations. The activation protected access to sensitive border airspace and to Rzeszów, an important transit point for assistance destined for Ukraine. Polish authorities had not confirmed a new violation of national airspace or reported recovered drone debris in connection with this specific alert.