Warsaw to ban drone flights on Independence Day over safety concerns
Photo: The ban will be in effect from dawn until late evening (Getty Images)
On Tuesday, November 11, Poland will celebrate Independence Day. In connection with the holiday, drone flights over Warsaw will be temporarily banned, reports Warsaw police.
The police stated that to ensure the safety of gatherings during the celebrations, the National Police Headquarters, in coordination with the State Protection Service, is imposing restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the city.
The ban will be in effect from 7:00 to 23:00 local time. Police warned that operators who violate air traffic rules could face severe penalties, including up to 5 years in prison.
A number of official ceremonies are scheduled in Warsaw for Independence Day. Several mass events are also planned, including the Independence March, which unites right-wing conservative groups and organizations. Polish President Karol Nawrocki and opposition party leader Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice party (PiS), have confirmed their participation.
Drones in Poland
On the night of September 10, as Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace. This prompted Poland to scramble its own and allied aircraft and, for the first time in its modern history, use weapons in its national airspace.
Since that incident, many European countries have reported drones appearing briefly and then disappearing. Poland also plans to start developing a national anti-drone system within several months, acting independently of any European Union initiative to create a "drone wall."
