Air-Raid Sirens Wake Polish Border City As Russia Strikes Ukraine

Air-raid sirens woke residents of this eastern Polish city near the Ukrainian border in the early hours of October 16 as Russia launched an air attack on Ukraine.

X user Veyro recorded the warning in the dark at about 1:01 a.m. “This is the wake-up we had in Chełm today,” the filmer wrote.

Poland’s Government Centre for Security issued alerts overnight warning of a threat of an attack from the air and telling people to find a safe place and follow the instructions of the emergency services. A later alert said Russia was carrying out an air attack on Ukraine and that Polish aircraft were operating in Polish airspace.

Chełm lies about 25 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, and the region has repeatedly been put on alert during Russian strikes on western Ukraine.