NATO JETS SCRAMBLED IN POLAND AS RUSSIA ATTACKS UKRAINE . (PHOTO).

 NATO jets scrambled in Poland as Russia attacks Ukraine 

NATO fighter jets were scrambled, and air defense systems were placed on alert in Poland after Russia launched a major overnight drone and missile assault on Ukraine, the Armed Forces Operational Command in Warsaw said.

Polish authorities said the preventive measures, which included radar reconnaissance, were intended to secure airspace near threatened areas. The alert lasted nearly four hours, after which all systems returned to normal operations, and no violations of Polish airspace were reported. Spanish and Czech fighter jets, along with German and Dutch air defense systems, assisted in the response.

Ukraine reported that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles, including 17 ballistic missiles, overnight. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or suppressed 585 drones and 30 missiles. Impacts were recorded across 29 locations, making it the largest overnight bombardment since October 29, though still smaller than the September 6 strike involving 823 weapons.

Officials reported attacks on residential buildings, railways, and energy infrastructure in 10 regions. In Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and Lviv, more than two dozen homes were damaged, with at least eight people injured. In Odesa, an energy facility sustained damage, leaving roughly 9,500 customers without heating and 34,000 without water. Additional energy infrastructure damage was reported in Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power during the strikes, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency to reiterate calls for military restraint to avoid a nuclear accident. Ukrainian officials, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, condemned the strikes as attacks on civilian infrastructure and stressed the need for sustained international support.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said energy facilities were the primary targets, asserting that Russia aimed to inflict suffering on millions of Ukrainians. He called for continued pressure on Russia and robust support for Ukrainian air defenses. Russia claimed its forces shot down at least 121 Ukrainian drones overnight.