Poland and Latvia scramble jets as Russian drones strike Ukraine
On the night of September 22, Poland and Latvia raised military aviation in response to a Russian drone attack on Ukraine. NATO fighter jets patrolling Baltic airspace were activated after Latvia reported a possible air threat in the Kraslava region, while Polish aviation operated in Polish airspace and residents of Lublin Voivodeship were warned of danger.
Key points
- Poland and Latvia scrambled military aviation on the night of September 22 in response to a Russian drone attack on Ukraine.
- Poland's Operational Command said Polish aviation was active in the country's airspace and the situation was being monitored.
- Residents of Poland's Lublin Voivodeship were warned of the danger.
- Latvia's National Armed Forces reported a possible air threat in the Kraslava region and the activation of NATO fighter jets on Baltic patrols.
- Latvian military said no additional measures were required from residents at the time.
- Poland's Ministry of Defense stated the military had orders to shoot down a Russian drone if it crossed into Polish airspace.
- Poland activated ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance assets in line with standard procedures.
- Ukraine's Air Force reported that jet-powered Shahed drones were used in the same night's attack.
Why it matters
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have repeatedly spilled into the airspace of neighboring NATO members, forcing them to activate air defenses and raising the risk of direct confrontation with Russia. The activation of NATO fighter jets in Latvia shows the alliance is treating Russian drone activity near its borders as a credible security threat. Poland has moved from a posture of monitoring to authorizing its military to shoot down Russian drones that enter Polish airspace, indicating an escalation in NATO's eastern flank response.
What happened
On the night of Tuesday, September 22, Poland and Latvia scrambled military aviation in response to a Russian drone attack on Ukraine. Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces said Polish aviation was operating in the country's airspace and that the situation was being monitored, and residents of Lublin Voivodeship were warned of the danger. Latvia's National Armed Forces reported a possible air threat in the Kraslava region and the activation of NATO fighter jets that were patrolling Baltic airspace; the Latvian military said no additional measures were required from residents at the time. Poland activated ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance assets in accordance with standard procedures, and Ukraine's Air Force reported that jet-powered Shahed drones were used in the same night's attack. Poland's Ministry of Defense stated that the military had orders to shoot down a Russian drone if it crossed into Polish airspace.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on which diplomatic train was at Yahodyn station during the September 13 drone strike. Some reporting referenced a diplomatic train from Kyiv carrying former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while Ukrzaliznytsia clarified that the train actually at the station was carrying former CIA director David Petraeus. There is also inconsistency across reporting on whether Lithuania, alongside Poland and Latvia, raised combat aviation in response to the September 22 attack.
Background
On September 13, Russian forces struck a passenger train locomotive with a drone at Yahodyn station, roughly 2 km from the Polish border, with no reported casualties. Ukrainian Railways said a train carrying former CIA director David Petraeus was at the station at the time. On September 17, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a Russian strike drone fell near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing point during an attack on a gas station in Volyn Oblast. After that earlier strike, Poland increased security at border crossing points on the Ukrainian border and was constructing fortifications there. Poland is also reinforcing civil protection along its eastern border by installing more than 1,000 automated sirens.