The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command stated on the 20th that during Russia’s airstrike on Ukraine that day, Polish and NATO Allied Air Force fighter jets were urgently scrambled to “ensure the security of Polish airspace.” The command announced around 5:30 AM local time on social media that due to Russian long-range aviation carrying out airstrikes on Ukrainian territory, on-duty combat aircraft were urgently launched, while ground air defense systems and radar detection systems were placed on highest alert. Approximately an hour and a half later, the command reported that as the Russian airstrike had ended, the related operations had concluded, describing the action as “preventive.” Polish ground air defense and radar detection systems have also returned to normal status.
