Poland has announced that it will restrict air traffic in the eastern part of the country, a day after reporting that it shot down several Russian drones that had violated its airspace. Air traffic along the border with Belarus and Ukraine will be closed to civilian flights, with some exceptions, until December 9, as reported by the country's air traffic control agency (PAZP) in a statement.
Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, warned yesterday that the possibility of a military conflict "is greater than at any other time since World War II." His country has called for an emergency session at the UN Security Council following the Russian violation of its airspace and also requested an urgent NATO consultation by invoking Article 4.
Alleged Russian Drones Were Headed to a Weapons Supply Center, According to Spiegel
NATO assumes that several of the allegedly Russian drones that violated Polish airspace early Wednesday were targeting a logistics center for supplying weapons to Ukraine, as reported on Thursday by Spiegel.
Since the start of the war, a significant portion of Western arms supplies to support the invaded country are managed through the Rzeszów airport in southeastern Poland. Given the trajectory of five of the drones, an attack on the logistics center was expected, according to NATO forces.
Dutch F-35 fighter jets, supporting air defense in Poland on behalf of NATO, subsequently shot down at least three of the drones, with one reportedly crashing, according to initial investigations.
The German armed forces, protecting the weapons supply center with two Patriot batteries against air attacks, early detected the drone incursion into Polish airspace through radars and shared the data with the NATO air defense network. The German systems' firing units were not used in the operation, as reported by the magazine, citing Efe.
Poland Restricts Air Traffic in Eastern Territory After Russian Drone Intrusion
Poland announced on Thursday that it will restrict air traffic in the eastern part of the country, a day after reporting that it had shot down several Russian drones that intruded into its territory, as reported by Afp.
Air traffic along the border of Poland with Belarus and Ukraine will be closed to civilian flights, with some exceptions, until December 9, as announced by the country's air traffic control agency (PAZP), a member of the EU and NATO.
Russia Shoots Down 17 Ukrainian Drones Across Six Regions
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its anti-aircraft defenses shot down a total of 17 drones across six regions of the country, as reported by Efe. According to the military report, 15 of the destroyed drones last night were intercepted in the regions of Voronezh (six), Belgorod (five), Bryansk (two), and Kursk (two), all bordering Ukraine.
The other two unmanned aircraft were downed over the regions of Lipetsk and Tambov.
Ukraine Neutralizes 62 of the 66 Drones Launched by Russia
The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that its defenses neutralized 62 of the 66 long-range drones launched by Russia overnight. Of the total drones launched by Russia, over 50 were Shahed attack drones. Russia uses replicas of these alongside the Shaheds without explosive charges to confuse and overwhelm enemy defenses.
The interceptions of the neutralized drones occurred over various regions in northern, southern, and eastern Ukraine. The four drones that could not be intercepted hit three unspecified locations in Ukraine.
Ukraine Claims to Have Attacked a Russian Warship in a Black Sea Port with a Drone
Ukrainian military intelligence forces (GUR) targeted a Russian MPSV07 warship from the Black Sea Fleet valued at around 60 million dollars with an attack drone on Wednesday while conducting reconnaissance near the port of Novorossiysk in the Russian Federation, as reported by GUR in a statement released today, Thursday, as reported by Efe.
According to the statement, Russia began using this ship in 2015. The Russian Fleet has only four ships of this type.
The MPSV07 is equipped with communication, control, and radio-electronic detection equipment that were partially destroyed in the attack, according to GUR, stating that the ship will require repairs that will keep it out of service for some time.
Throughout this war, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian vessels and ships deployed in the Black Sea with maritime and aerial drones.
Poland Calls for Urgent Session at UN Security Council
Poland requested an emergency session at the UN Security Council following the Russian violation of its airspace, as reported by sources from the South Korean presidency of the Council to the press. This was reported by Efe.
The date for this session is still being studied, according to these sources, who shared the news with journalists through a WhatsApp group.
In addition to requesting this meeting, Poland has formally requested an urgent consultation with allies by invoking Article 4 of NATO, a joint decision by Tusk and the Polish President, Karol Nawrocki, to prepare a joint response from the allies.
Russia Warns of a "Massive Attack" in Belgorod
The Russian region of Belgorod has instructed children to stay at home and has closed shopping centers due to a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones, as reported on Thursday by regional governor Viacheslav Gladkov, according to Reuters.