NATO jets scrambled in Poland after Russia carried out deadly strikes on Ukraine
NATO scrambled fighter jets and put air defense units on high alert early Sunday as a major Russian drone and missile strike targeted Ukraine, Poland’s Operational Command said.
“Due to the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation striking Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft have been deployed in our airspace,” the command said, noting that fighter jets were scrambled and ground-based air defenses, along with radar reconnaissance, were at maximum readiness. Dutch F-35 jets and a German Patriot missile system were among the forces mobilized, and airspace over Lublin and Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border was briefly closed. The alert lasted about three-and-a-half hours, with no reported violations of Polish airspace.
Meanwhile, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, and Odesa were hit during the overnight barrage, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as lasting more than 12 hours. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 593 drones and 50 missiles, marking the largest combined strike since September 7. Ukrainian defenses downed or suppressed 566 drones and 45 missiles, but five missiles and 31 drones struck 16 locations.
In Kyiv, at least four people were killed, including a 12-year-old girl, and 14 others were injured, with damage reported to residential buildings, a state medical facility, warehouses, private homes, cars, and a children’s educational center. A five-story apartment building in the Solomyanskyi district partially collapsed and caught fire.
Zaporizhzhia also suffered heavy damage, with at least 31 injured, including three children. High-rise apartments and other buildings were set ablaze in the city, which lies roughly 16 miles from the front line. Across Ukraine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said at least 70 people were injured.
Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as a “cowardly attack” following high-level meetings at the U.N. General Assembly and urged more international measures to target Russia’s energy exports, calling on the U.S., Europe, G7, and G20 to respond.
Russia reported shooting down at least 41 Ukrainian drones overnight. In response to the ongoing strikes, Russia’s Rosaviatsiya temporarily restricted flights at multiple airports, including Moscow’s Zhukovsky International and several regional hubs.
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