Move comes as Warsaw bans flights along eastern borders after downing suspected Russian drones with NATO support
Spain's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Russian Embassy's charge d'affaires in Madrid following suspected drone incursions into Poland’s airspace.
The Spanish diplomatic protest, which EFE reported, came a day after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones with the support of NATO aircraft, the first time a member of the alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Poland called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and introduced sweeping restrictions on civilian flights along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine.
"At the request of the Operational Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces, air traffic restrictions will be introduced in the eastern part of Poland in the form of the restricted zone EP R129," the agency said in a statement.
Under the measures, flights from sunrise to sunset are prohibited in the restricted zone, except for manned aircraft operating under a flight plan with appropriate transponders and two-way communication with air authorities.
Military flights and other special-purpose operations are exempted.
"From sunset to sunrise, there is a total ban on flights, except for military aircraft," the statement added, noting that civilian unmanned aircraft are banned around the clock in the EP R129 zone.
The restrictions come amid heightened security concerns in the NATO member state after Wednesday’s drone incident, which prompted Warsaw to step up coordination with allies.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its drones had carried out a large-scale strike on military targets in western Ukraine but denied any intention to hit Polish territory.
