Poland closes airspace amid Russian strikes as NATO steps up Baltic security

Poland briefly closed part of its airspace southeast of the capital, Warsaw, on Sunday, citing “unplanned military activity”, as Russia launched a new wave of strikes on Ukraine.

The Polish armed forces said aircraft were scrambled to ensure the security of its skies. It described the actions as preventive and aimed at securing airspace and protecting citizens.

Meanwhile, NATO announced on Saturday that it was upgrading its mission in the Baltic Sea with an air defence frigate and other assets, including "intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms," in response to drone incursions in Denmark.

Ukraine's air force said nationwide air raid alerts were in effect on Sunday in response to Russian strikes. Earlier this month, Polish and NATO forces intercepted Russian drones that entered Polish airspace, marking their first direct military engagement with Moscow since the 2022 invasion.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned NATO and the European Union that any aggression against his country would be met with a “decisive response”.