Poland has scrambled fighter aircraft and temporarily shut its main airports after reports that Russian drones entered its airspace during overnight strikes on Ukraine the BBC reports. It is a development that has drawn immediate reaction from Washington.

The Polish armed forces said on X that both national and allied aircraft were airborne to protect the country’s skies. “Ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” the operational command announced.

According to a notice posted by the US Federal Aviation Administration, four airports were suspended, including Warsaw Chopin and Warsaw Modlin - the capital’s two key hubs. Rzeszów-Jasionka, the closest air hub to Ukraine, and Lublin were also closed. The Reuters news agency first reported the closures.

The suspected incursion has already sparked political shockwaves in Washington. Senator Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it would be “incredibly serious” if confirmed that Russian aircraft were active over a Nato country. He noted, however, that Poland has been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict a number of times previously.

It has since been revealed that 'objects' have been shot down over Poland, and in a subsequent post on X by the Polish military that "weapons have been used, and operations are underway to locate the downed objects" according to the BBC.

This is a developing story and will be added to as news comes in.