Russia has launched its third significant attack on Ukraine in the past four days, with one missile reported to have entered NATO airspace.
The Polish military claims that a Russian missile aimed at Ukraine briefly entered its airspace on Sunday.
Warsaw, which spends more on defence in terms of GDP than any other NATO member, has placed its troops on heightened readiness.
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Lviv region in the far west of the country, came under a “massive” Russian air assault early on Sunday morning, according to officials.
Kyiv said it intercepted 18 Russian missiles as well as 25 drones, during a fierce attack on the city of nearly 3 million. The head of military administration, Serhiy Popko, said there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Taking to Telegram, he wrote: “The enemy continues massive missile terror against Ukraine. It does not give up its goal or destroying Kyiv at any cost.”
Lviv saw seven drones and 20 missiles attempt to crush its “critical infrastructure”, according to Mayor Andriy Sadovy.
Poland claimed that a Russian missile entered its airspace at 4:23am local time. The missile is reported to have crossed into Polish territory near the town of Oserdów, staying there for 39 seconds, according to a statement.
Polish military radar systems spied the missile, tracking it the entire time and all necessary procedures were said to have been launched to secure its airspace.
The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command (RSZ) reported that its forces were on alert due to the “intensive long-range aviation activity of the Russian Federation tonight” and the missile strikes in Ukraine.
It said: “Polish and allied aircraft have been activated, which may result in increased noise levels, especially in the south-eastern part of the country”.
Polish airspace has been violated on several occasions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Two Poles were killed in a missile blast in the same year.
Western officials pointed to a stray Ukrainian air defence missile for the deaths, but simultaneously accused Russia of being culpable because it started the conflict and the Ukrainian missiles were launched in self-defence.
