TWO POLISH AIRPORTS SUSPENDED OPERATIONS AMID RUSSIAN STRIKES NEAR UKRAINE BORDER

Two airports in southeastern Poland have temporarily suspended flight operations following Russian air strikes on neighbouring Ukrainian territory, Polish authorities confirmed on Saturday.

The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) announced that operations at Rzeszow and Lublin airports were halted to allow the unrestricted movement of military aircraft in the area.

“In connection with the need to ensure the free operation of military aviation, the airports in Rzeszow and Lublin have temporarily suspended flight operations,” PANSA said in a statement posted on X.

Both cities are located close to Poland’s border with Ukraine. Rzeszow, in particular, serves as a key logistics hub for NATO’s military assistance to Ukraine.

Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said military aviation had been activated in Polish airspace as a precautionary response to the Russian strikes.

“These actions are preventive and aimed at safeguarding and protecting Polish airspace, especially in areas adjacent to regions under threat,” the military said.

Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 reported that the closures affected NATO aircraft operating in the region.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued a notice to airmen, stating that both airports were temporarily inaccessible due to military activity linked to state security measures.

This is not the first such disruption. In January, authorities temporarily suspended operations at both airports, though officials at the time stressed that the military activity was routine and posed no direct threat to Polish airspace.