Warsaw ordered the activation of fighters and air defense systems in areas close to those threatened by Moscow’s latest attacks. Ukrainian sites were hit by drones and ballistic missiles, in the most intense offensive of the last weeks in the European conflict.
Poland mobilizes its forces
In the early hours of Sunday morning, the Polish Air Force mobilized all the resources at its disposal in the face of a surprise and massive attack by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, affecting some regions near the Polish-Ukrainian border.
The information came directly from the Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Poland, through a statement published on its official account on the social network X.
“Due to the attack of the Russian Federation carried out against targets located on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation was activated,” the statement explains. It should be recalled that Poland is part of the European Union, as well as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The message from the Polish forces states that “all available forces and resources” were activated, citing “pairs of fighters” and “ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems”.
This movement of troops and resources aims to “ensure security in the areas surrounding the threatened areas,” the Polish military agency argued.
The Russian offensive that set off the alarms
The movement of Poland’s military resources was in response to the most intense offensive of the Russian army in recent weeks, which occurred during the early hours of Sunday morning.
Russia reportedly launched a massive attack, shooting down a Ukrainian F-16 that was performing defensive duties in the area. Only nine injuries were reported, distributed between the cities of Smila, in the central region of Ukraine, and Liman, in the east of the country.
One of the cities targeted by Russia was Drohobych, some 80 kilometers southwest of Liv, in western Ukraine, and barely 100 kilometers from its border with Poland, according to information published by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.
“Almost throughout the night, alerts sounded all over Ukraine, 477 drones, most of them Russian-Iranian ‘Shahed’ flew over our skies along with 60 missiles of various types,” Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky stated on his official social network X account.
“Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot Maxim Ustimenko was killed,” Zelensky added, referring to the deceased pilot. “My condolences to his family and brothers in arms. I have ordered an investigation into all the circumstances of his death,” he wrote.
The Ukrainian air force claimed it managed to intercept the vast majority of the drones, as well as more than half of the missiles, launched by Russia in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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Zelensky denounces attack on civilians
In his remarks, Zelensky noted that the Russian attack was directed against “everything that sustains life.” “A residential building in Smila was also hit, and a child was injured. Emergency services are responding where they are needed,” Zelensky continued as he listed the consequences suffered from the latest attack.
“Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive attacks. This week alone more than 114 missiles, more than 1,270 drones and nearly 1,100 glider bombs have been launched,” Zelensky expressed in his publication.
“Putin decided long ago that he would continue waging war, despite the world’s calls for peace. We must put an end to this war: we must put pressure on the aggressor,” the Ukrainian president concluded, referring to his belief that Moscow is unwilling to stop the conflict.
Ukraine’s neighboring countries are moving in response to Russia’s ongoing war in the European country. While no deaths are being counted as in other conflicts around the world, the war in Europe does not appear to have an end in sight.