Poland and Allies Scramble Jets as Russia Launches Massive Aerial Attack on Ukraine

Polish and allied fighter jets were scrambled in the early hours of Sunday as Russia launched another massive missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.

Poland also closed its airspace around the cities of Rzeszow and Lublin in the southeast due to what flight tracking service Flightradar24 called “unplanned military activity.”

The Operational Command of Poland’s armed forces posted on the X platform that Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Fighter Pairs were scrambled, and ground-based air defenses and radar surveillance systems put on high alert.

The post, which appeared at 4 am on Sunday, said both Poland and allied combat aircraft were used in the operation but did not provide details, though a later post thanked the Royal Netherlands Air Force for the use of their F-35s.

It added that the German armed forces had supported the operation with the Patriot air-defense system.

The later post, published at 8 am, reported that the operation had concluded and that Russia had not breached Poland’s borders.

Securing airspace

The Operational Command stressed that the deployment was preventative in nature and aimed at ensuring the safety of Polish citizens and the security of the country’s airspace.

Poland and other countries on NATO’s eastern flank have been on high alert since around two dozen Russian drones entered Poland on September 10 as part of a series of airspace breaches in the region by Russian forces.

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Bombardment of Ukraine

The NATO response in Poland was triggered by long-range bombers active in Ukraine as part of a huge overnight assault that killed at least four people in the capital, Kyiv, including a 12-year-ol girl, and injured at least 40 nationwide.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described the attack as “vile” and said the assault, which last more than 12 hours, was a “deliberate, targeted terror against ordinary cities.”

He said in an X post that nearly 500 attack drones had been used as well as more than 40 rockets, including hypersonic Kinzhal ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian media reported that Russian bombers had caused air-raid alarms to be activated in regions far from the front lines.

Five Russian Tu-95 bombers took off from Russia before 2 am local time, the Kyiv Independent reported, adding that MiG-31K bombers were also launched shortly afterward, followed by more Tu-95s.

In addition, swarms of Shahed-type drones targeted cities across Ukraine including the capital, Kyiv, where a five-story residential block was destroyed.

Ukrainian authorities have warned citizens to prepare for intensified attacks on energy infrastructure as the winter approaches.