Poland imposes new flight restrictions in east to give air defenses greater freedom
Poland will introduce a temporary restricted flight zone over the eastern part of the country from Sept. 10 through Dec. 9, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command said.
The EP R134 zone will extend from ground level to around 3 kilometers, meaning it will not affect passenger aircraft operating at higher altitudes. It will replace the existing EP R131 restricted zone.
Flights within the zone will be largely prohibited at night, with exceptions including military aircraft and certain coordinated operations. During daylight hours, some civilian flights will remain possible under specific conditions.
The Operational Command said the restrictions were introduced to ensure national security and give Poland’s air defense system sufficient freedom to respond to potential threats while minimizing disruption to civilian aviation.
The measure comes after a series of incidents involving Russian attacks on western Ukraine and potential or confirmed violations of Polish airspace. On July 30, Polish authorities detected an unidentified object during a major Russian attack on Ukraine. Debris and a crater were later found near Tarnawa-Kolonia in eastern Poland.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the object was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that had crossed Polish territory.