Polish Armed Forces Operational Command
The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command (Dowództwo Operacyjne Rodzajów Sił Zbrojnych) is the central operational-level command of the Polish military, responsible for planning and directing joint operations in peacetime and during crises. It is headquartered in Warsaw and headed by a commander who reports to the Chief of the General Staff. The command coordinates the activities of the army, navy, air force and special forces under operational authority vested in the Chief of Defence.
-
Poland searches for unknown object near Lublin after suspected airspace violation
Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command said an unknown object may have violated Polish airspace overnight into Sunday, October 18, prompting a search operation south of Lublin. No violation has been confirmed, and authorities have not ruled out a meteorological cause for the recorded radar signal. The episode coincided with a brief Government Centre for Security alert to Lublin-region residents about a Russian attack on Ukraine — later cancelled — and with air-raid alerts in Lithuania and Latvia that triggered NATO jet scrambles and the temporary closure of Kaunas airport.
-
Poland scrambles jets, puts air defense on readiness as Russia strikes Ukraine with missiles
Poland's military scrambled aviation and activated ground-based air defense and radar systems on the morning of 7 October in response to a massive Russian missile and cruise missile attack on Ukraine. The Polish Armed Forces' Operational Command posted the notice at 6:46 Kyiv time, while Russian cruise missiles were still in Ukrainian airspace. The measures were described as preventive, aimed at securing Polish airspace, especially in areas adjacent to threatened zones.
-
Poland simplifies rules for shooting down aerial objects from 1 October
From 1 October, Poland is introducing simplified procedures for detecting and shooting down foreign aerial objects in its airspace, replacing mandatory visual identification with positive identification based on radar and other system data. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the new rules were fully ready and being implemented by the armed forces, with no legislative changes required. The change is motivated by the recurring risk of Russian drones and missiles entering Polish airspace during strikes on Ukraine.
-
Russian drone strike near Yahodyn border crossing prompts Polish military scramble, airport shutdowns
On 28 September, a Russian reactive drone struck near the Yahodyn international border crossing on the Ukrainian-Polish border in Volyn Oblast. Poland scrambled military aviation, placed air-defence and radar systems on alert, and suspended operations at Rzeszów and Lublin airports. No casualties were reported, but the blast wave damaged the entry-terminal building of the checkpoint, according to the head of the Volyn Oblast Military Administration.
-
Poland scrambles jets twice and evacuates border crossings as Russia strikes near Ukrainian border
On 24 September Poland scrambled military aircraft twice and placed ground-based air-defence systems on alert in response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian regions. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said two border crossings with Ukraine, Hrubieszów and Dorohusk, had to be evacuated during a Russian attack near the border. The crossings were closed for about half an hour, with vehicle traffic returning to normal from 12:00. The same night Russia hit Kyiv with ballistic missiles and drones, killing at least two people and injuring eight.
-
Poland scrambles jets, suspends airports amid Russian strikes on Ukraine
On the morning of 23 September, Poland scrambled military aircraft and placed air-defence systems on heightened readiness in response to a Russian air attack on Ukraine. Operations at Lublin and Rzeszów airports were temporarily suspended, and border crossings with Ukraine were put on alert.
-
Russian strike drone falls near Polish border; Poland scrambles jets, shuts airports
On 17 September 2026, a Russian strike drone fell or was destroyed approximately 4 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border on Ukrainian territory in Volyn Oblast, near the Dorohusk–Yahodyn crossing. Poland scrambled fighter jets, put air-defence and radar systems on alert, and temporarily suspended operations at Lublin and Rzeszów airports. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the drone likely hit a petrol station, and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced increased F-16 and helicopter activity in response.
-
Russian drones strike Kyiv-Warsaw train and infrastructure near Polish border, prompting Polish emergency meeting
On the morning of September 13, 2026, Russian drones struck infrastructure near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk international border crossing on the Ukraine-Poland border in Volyn Oblast, damaging a gas station, hitting a truck on the Polish side, and striking the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train about two kilometers from the Polish border. Poland scrambled fighter jets, issued air alerts in Lublin and Podkarpackie voivodeships, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting at the Government Centre for Security, warning that Russian escalation could reach Polish territory in the coming weeks. No passengers or railway workers were injured in the locomotive strike after a Ukrzaliznytsia monitoring group warned the crew in advance and gave an evacuation signal roughly 15 minutes before impact.
-
Russia hits Kyiv with massive missile and drone attack hours after Trump envoys leave
Russia launched a combined missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on September 7–8, striking the capital with ballistic and cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and 166 strike drones. At least two people were killed, more than 50 civilian objects were damaged across multiple districts, and air defenses downed 175 of the incoming targets. The attack came shortly after US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left the city following talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.