Poland closed airspace over Lublin and Rzeszów and scrambled Dutch F-35s & German Patriots early Sunday as Russia fired 595 drones + 50 missiles at Ukraine in a 12-hour onslaught that killed at least four civilians and triggered NATO’s biggest air-policing surge on its eastern flank to date.
NATO fighter jets roared into Polish pre-dawn skies and civilian air routes were abruptly shut Sunday after Russia launched one of the biggest combined drone-and-missile barrages of its 31-month war against Ukraine, raining 645 aerial weapons on the capital and southern regions in a 12-hour wave that killed a 12-year-old girl and forced thousands of Kyiv residents into metro tunnels.
Snapshot Numbers
- 595 Shahed-type drones (record one-night total)
- 50 cruise & ballistic missiles, including 2 Iskander-M ballistic
- 4 civilians confirmed dead, 42 injured in Kyiv; 4 hurt in Zaporizhzhia
- 566 drones & 45 missiles intercepted (Ukraine AF)
- 0 intrusions into Poland, but airspace shut 00:30-04:00 CET as precaution
Poland’s Instant Reaction
- Airspace closure: NOTAM issued for 100-nm radius around Lublin & Rzeszów—key hubs ferrying Western military aid into Ukraine.
- Scrambled assets: Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s on NATO air-policing rotation, plus a German Patriot battery placed on “highest readiness”.
- Radar reconnaissance: US AWACS and Polish PL-15 early-warning planes tracked the salvo’s trajectory to pre-empt stray drones like those shot down on 10 September.
“These measures are preventive… to secure airspace and protect citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions,” Poland’s Operational Command posted on X at 02:17 local time.
Kyiv Under “Massive” Assault
Starting shortly after midnight, explosions rippled from Kyiv’s Left Bank to the western suburb of Irpin. Debris smashed a five-storey apartment block, the landmark Cardiology Institute and a kindergarten, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
A 12-year-old girl was pulled dead from the rubble; her mother remains in serious condition
By dawn, smoke hung over the city as residents walked dogs between air-raid sirens—eerily reminiscent of the first days of the full-scale invasion.
“Russia launched another massive air attack on Ukrainian cities while people were sleeping… This is exactly how Moscow declares its real position to the world,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
NATO’s Eastern Flank on Hair-Trigger
Sunday’s closure marked the third time this month Poland has sealed civilian corridors due to Russian activity, but the first simultaneous mobilisation of Dutch, German and US assets inside Polish borders.
Alliance diplomats told The Guardian consultations under Article 4—“the security of one or more allies is threatened”—are likely to be requested this week if debris or drones again cross the frontier.
Global Fallout
- UN General Assembly: Zelenskyy, still in New York, called the timing “vile”, urging tougher economic sanctions as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Russia “has no intention of attacking NATO”.
- Energy watch: Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo pre-emptively shut high-voltage substations, mindful of last winter’s systematic strikes. No blackouts reported so far.
- Markets: Brent crude ticked up 1.2 % in early Asian trade on fears of escalation near NATO borders.
Forecast & Security Outlook
Ukraine’s Air Force warns mid-week could see another wave as Russia stockpiles drones ahead of winter. Poland’s Defence Ministry says F-16 patrol hours will double “indefinitely,” while additional German Patriots are expected to deploy to Rzeszów within days.
FAQ — Poland Airspace Closure 29 Sept 2025
Q: Are commercial flights cancelled?
A: Only seven LOT & Ryanair routes to RZE & LUZ were diverted; Warsaw-Kraków-Gdańsk traffic ran normally. Airspace reopened at 04:00 CET.
Q: Did any Russian object enter Polish airspace?
A: No. Radar tracks showed drones impacting western Ukraine < 30 km from the border—closer than ever but still inside Ukrainian territory.
Q: Is this an Article 5 moment?
A: Not yet. NATO ambassadors describe it as “enhanced vigilance,” but further incursions could trigger collective-defence talks.
Q: Should travellers near the border worry?
A: Officials urge normal caution and advise monitoring Poland’s RCB alert app for real-time updates.
Sunday’s pre-dawn spectacle—jets thundering above Polish cities while Kyiv’s skyline flickered orange—underscored how the Ukraine war now keeps NATO air-defence crews on permanent watch. With Russia firing record drone numbers and the snowball effect of airspace violations growing, the alliance’s eastern skies look set to remain crowded—and tense—well into winter.
