Poland scrambles jets and closes two airports

Poland put military aircraft into its airspace and temporarily suspended operations at Rzeszow and Lublin airports on Sunday as Russia struck western Ukraine, while Lithuania told residents in its centre and north to take shelter over an unrecognized flying object and closed Kaunas airport for about an hour.

Why it matters: The alerts take the disruption from Russia's overnight strikes on western Ukraine into NATO airspace, closing civilian airports in two alliance states and bringing NATO air policing jets into the response.

Data as of Sunday, October 18, 2026, 06:41 ET. Developing item. The Polish measures are from the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command statement on X, reported by European Pravda, in Ukrainian, read in full. The Lithuanian shelter warning, the NATO air policing response and the Kaunas closure are from Lithuania's army and national crisis management centre, reported by Arab News, read in full. The suspected airspace object near Lublin and the drone debris found in Lithuania are official accounts that had not been independently confirmed in the reporting opened.

Poland’s Operational Command said military aviation was operating in Polish airspace on Sunday because of Russian drone strikes on western Ukraine, with ground air defence and radar systems brought to readiness in what it called preventive measures to protect Polish airspace near the threatened areas. The Polish air navigation agency temporarily suspended operations at Lublin and Rzeszow airports because of the military activity, and a search was under way near Lublin for an object that may have violated Polish airspace.

In the Baltic states, Lithuania’s army and crisis management centre told residents in central and northern regions to go to shelters over an unrecognized flying object, NATO air policing fighters were sent to the area, and Kaunas airport was closed for about an hour under a red air warning. Latvia issued a yellow air warning in regions bordering Lithuania, and European Pravda reported that debris from a suspected drone was later found in the Lithuanian village of Juodzionys, in the Pasvalys district, where officials thought it may have flown in from Poland.

Poland scrambles jets and closes two airports

Sources