Russia violated Poland’s airspace early on Sunday with a cruise missile launched at targets in western Ukraine, Poland’s armed forces said.
Russia launched 57 missiles and drones on Ukraine in the early hours, including attacking Kyiv and the western region of Lviv that is near the Polish border.
It was in NATO airspace for 39 seconds. That doesn’t leave much time for an intercept let alone a intercept decision. Assuming they had intercept capability in the area.
And interception has risks: the cruise missile can fall into a populated area or the interceptor can hit something else.
They estimated it wasn’t targeting anything in Poland and responded via diplomacy which seems the most reasonable approach.
Yeah the Iranians shot down a civilian plane thinking it was a missile attack.
Yeah, nobody wants a twitchy air defense.
It’s not the first airliner shot down by over-eager operators.