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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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NATO member Poland scrambled fighter jets overnight after Russia carried out fresh strikes on Ukraine ahead of peace talks resuming on Tuesday.
The Polish military initially said it had put its ground-based air defense and radar systems on high alert, but said in a later update that no objects had violated its airspace from Ukraine.
The country's operational command added its actions were "preventive" to secure Polish borders "particularly in areas adjacent to threatened regions."
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Why It Matters
It is a fairly regular occurrence for Poland to quickly get fighter jets airborne to shield the country's airspace when Russia launches large-scale aerial attacks on Ukraine, particularly when Moscow targets areas near Polish territory.
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What To Know
Ukrainian officials said Russia had targeted the western Lviv region, bordering Poland, the southern city of Odesa and areas close to the eastern front lines from late on Monday.
Moscow launched "a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday. He said Russia homed in on Kyiv's energy and civilian infrastructure.
German aircraft deployed in Poland were also involved in the early hours of Tuesday, Warsaw's military said. Five German fighter jets arrived in the country in December for a rotation of a NATO initiative designed to protect Polish airspace.
NATO said it would increase its aerial presence in Poland shortly after around 20 Russian drones crossed into Poland from Ukraine in September 2025. Russia said it had not intentionally targeted a NATO member.
Poland said on Tuesday it had separately recorded and monitored "balloon-like objects" entering its airspace from Belarus, a key Russian ally. The country's military said the "situation was under control" and did not threaten Polish citizens or aircraft in the area.
The NATO nation has reported an uptick in what authorities describe as smuggling balloons often filled with illegal cigarettes crossing over from Belarus since late 2025.
Balloons ferrying contraband can be considered part of hybrid warfare tactics, a term referring to a range of activities stopping short of open fighting, like cyberattacks, information campaigns or the targeting of vulnerable infrastructure.
American, Ukrainian and Russian delegations will meet in Switzerland for a new round of peace talks on Tuesday and Wednesday, although there is skepticism discussions will be able to break the deadlock on the key issue of territory.
Update 2/17/2025 at 3:50 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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