Poland scrambles jets on Christmas after detecting Russian reconnaissance aircraft near its airspace

Poland scrambled combatant jets Thursday aft detecting a Russian reconnaissance craft operating adjacent its airspace, authorities said.

Poland’s Operational Command wrote connected X that the craft was intercepted and escorted retired aft it was identified implicit planetary waters successful the Baltic Sea.

The bid said abstracted airspace incidents were besides detected overnight adjacent Poland’s eastbound border.

"At night, entries into Polish airspace of objects from the absorption of Belarus were observed. After conducting elaborate analyses, it was determined that these were astir apt smuggling balloons, moving successful accordance with the absorption and velocity of the wind," the bid said.

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A NATO AWACS tactical manager assesses the aerial and aboveground concern aboard an Airborne Warning and Control System craft during a formation implicit Polish airspace arsenic portion of the alliance’s Eastern Sentry mission, Sept. 19, 2025. (John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)

"The formation of each objects was continuously monitored by radar systems. To guarantee safety, a information of the airspace implicit the Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily closed to civilian traffic," it added.

No menace to Poland’s airspace was detected, authorities said, and officials continued to show the situation.

The incidental comes conscionable days aft Polish craft were scrambled again connected Tuesday arsenic Russia carried retired wide strikes against Ukraine.

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A pistillate sweeps up solid shards from a model aft an flat gathering was deed by a Russian drone during an aerial onslaught successful Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Polish authorities said the effect included enactment from NATO allies, with Spanish craft assisting successful aerial policing and Dutch forces providing aerial defence systems support.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched much than 650 drones and much than 30 missiles 2 days earlier Christmas, targeting Kyiv’s vigor assemblage and civilian infrastructure.

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Graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers are decorated with Christmas trees and New Year’s ornaments astatine Lychakiv Military Cemetery connected the time earlier Christmas Eve, Dec. 23, 2025, successful Lviv, Ukraine. (Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP via Getty Images)

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"Tragically, lives were lost. In the Kyiv region, a pistillate was killed by a Russian drone. One idiosyncratic was pronounced dormant successful the Khmelnytskyi region. In the Zhytomyr region, a four-year-old kid was killed aft a Russian drone struck a residential building. My condolences to the families and loved ones," Zelenskyy said.

"This Russian onslaught sends an highly wide awesome astir Russia’s priorities. An onslaught up of Christmas, erstwhile radical simply privation to beryllium with their families, astatine home, and safe. An onslaught carried retired fundamentally successful the midst of negotiations aimed astatine ending this war," helium added. "Putin inactive cannot judge that helium indispensable halt killing. And that means that the satellite is not putting capable unit connected Russia. Now is the clip to respond. Russia indispensable beryllium pushed toward bid and guaranteed security."