‘Find a Safe place’: Poland Orders Shelter as Russian Strikes Hit Ukraine Gas Station

Poland has ordered residents in the eastern Lubelskie and Podkarpackie regions to seek shelter as Russian strikes hit western Ukraine, specifically a gas station near the border. Warning sirens sounded, with the Government Security Centre instructing people to find a safe place and follow authorities' guidance. This warning was more urgent than previous alerts, which only suggested that Russia was attacking Ukraine and Polish military aircraft were operating in the region.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the attack as "massive" and "very brutal," mentioning that a petrol station was likely targeted in an explosion near Yahodyn, close to the Polish border crossing at Dorohusk. Tusk also stated that Polish fighter jets were scrambled in response. Earlier this week, a similar Russian air raid had occurred, as had one the previous night.

Poland's military confirmed that a jet-powered drone had approached the Polish border before apparently crashing or being shot down around four kilometers inside Ukraine. The airport in Lublin and Rzeszów temporarily suspended flights to allow military aircraft to operate freely. Polands has taken similar precautions during recent Russian attacks on western Ukraine, including scrambling fighter jets and placing air-defense systems on high alert.