The flight of a Russian long-range cruise missile that breached Polish airspace on Sunday morning was under continuous surveillance, and military officials stated that the intruding craft would not be pursued further once it left Polish territory. Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Goryszewski, the press spokesman for the Operational Command of the Armed Forces, described how long-range Russian aviation had been active from the early hours. Reports indicate that at least thirteen Tu-95 bombers fired missiles toward Ukraine as they traversed the skies over Poland.
Officials announced on the Platform X channel that a Russian missile crossed Polish airspace at about 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, prompting a rapid briefing on the developing events.
In an official notice issued around 4:23 a.m., the Armed Forces said a cruise missile from Russia’s long-range air fleet violated Polish airspace during the night. The object entered Polish airspace near the town of Osiedle in the Lublin Voivodeship and remained within Polish airspace for 39 seconds before continuing its path.
The primary targets of the missile strikes appeared to be cities located in western Ukraine.
Further details were provided as the briefing continued, underscoring the uncertain dynamics of cross-border military activity and the importance of real-time monitoring to ensure regional safety. A subsequent update emphasized the ongoing monitoring and urged calm while reaffirming Poland’s readiness to respond if any threat materialized on Polish soil.
—
During the Sunday morning briefing, the spokesman for the Operational Command of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Goryszewski, addressed questions about any decision to shoot the missile down. He explained that no authorization to engage had been granted. The grounds for this decision included the missile’s brief stay in Polish airspace and its flight path, which did not bring it into range of Poland’s land-based weapons systems. Additionally, the intruder did not penetrate deep into Polish territory, which informed the decision not to deploy fighters in pursuit.
“There was no order to intercept,” the lieutenant colonel stated, emphasizing the rapid transit of the object and the limited time available for any potential engagement.
Goryszewski noted that the missile traveled over Poland at approximately 800 kilometers per hour and at an altitude around 400 meters. It was tracked by radar throughout its passage, providing a continuous picture of its trajectory and speed. The command’s assessment was that the missile would exit Polish airspace soon after entering, and that a direct threat to critical infrastructure within Poland was unlikely at that moment.
Officials stressed that the safety of Polish airspace remained a priority and that monitoring efforts would continue as a standard precaution. The message also highlighted that, while Polish authorities observed the situation closely, there were no confirmed attacks on Polish targets and no disruption to normal air operations within the country at that time.
“Our airspace is continuously under surveillance, and the Polish forces remain alert and prepared,” Lt. Col. Goryszewski said. He added that the Polish military and allied aircraft maintained situational awareness, so if future events demanded it, appropriate actions could be taken. He confirmed that Polish airspace defense systems had returned to routine operations after the incident, and that ongoing vigilance remained in place as the situation evolved.
As the early morning hours unfolded, the commander noted that long-range aviation from Russia had been active since around 2 a.m., with Tu-95 aircraft departing from Russian bases and a number of missiles aimed toward Ukrainian regions. The Polish command had anticipated that some missiles might aim at areas neighboring Poland, which is why Polish and allied patrols were actively monitoring the skies over the region.
Readers are reminded that official updates followed a consistent thread: if there were any indication of a missile targeting a Polish target, a decision would be made about interception. In the interim, the authorities reiterated that Poland’s airspace remained protected and that no additional threats were detected at the time of the latest briefing.
For additional context, observers note the complex nature of cross-border military movements in the region, where long-range weaponry can traverse broad air corridors with limited time inside any single nation’s airspace. The operational emphasis remains on rapid intelligence gathering, robust radar surveillance, and clear lines of communication among national and allied defense forces to prevent unintended escalations.
Source: official statements disseminated by the Operational Command of the Armed Forces and corroborating reports from wPolityce, translated for broader awareness. This account summarizes the sequence of events, the official responses, and the defense posture adopted by Polish authorities during the incident.