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What the Polish airspace violation signalled for NATO
Summary
A Russian cruise missile entering Polish airspace came during a major wave of strikes on Ukraine, including on its gas storage.
What did it mean when a Russian cruise missile crossed into NATO airspace over Poland? By 26 March 2024, the incident, reported on 24 March, was already part of a wider picture of Russian attacks on Ukraine's western regions.
The violation prompted Poland to activate aircraft from its Air Force. It took place on the same day Russia launched major airstrikes on Kyiv and Lviv, in western Ukraine, using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and drones.
Infrastructure in the line of fire
The strikes damaged ground-level infrastructure at Ukraine's main gas storage site. That put energy assets in western Ukraine among the targets of the attack.
Why it mattered for the neighbourhood
The two events together showed how close the air war was to NATO's eastern border. A missile entering Polish airspace required an immediate military response from a NATO member, while Ukraine's western regions, nearest to that border, were being struck from the air.
