Polish and allied NATO aircraft were scrambled Sunday night in response to a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack targeting Ukraine, according to the Polish military’s Operational Command. The command reported that Polish and allied duty aircraft took to the skies, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on their highest alert as hundreds of drones and missiles struck multiple locations across Ukraine.
The heightened alert lasted about three hours before forces returned to normal operations. NATO’s Air Command, along with Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters stationed in Poland, participated in the defensive response. Additionally, Lithuanian officials confirmed that a Russian drone crossed into Lithuania from Belarusian airspace, which Russia frequently uses as a corridor for drone attacks on Ukraine. A search for the drone remained underway the following morning.
Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched 324 drones and seven missiles overnight. Of these, 309 drones and two missiles were intercepted or neutralized, but 15 drones and two missiles struck three locations within the country. The attack caused injuries, including at least eight people hurt in Kyiv when a drone hit a residential high-rise.
Ukrainian officials condemned the attacks as evidence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unwillingness to pursue peace talks. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, called for increased sanctions and strengthened long-range Ukrainian capabilities, warning that Russia’s aggressive actions—including drones crossing into Baltic airspace—are deliberate tests of NATO’s response. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses and the importance of international support for drone production and recovery efforts, particularly restoring electricity and aiding the wounded.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces shot down seven Ukrainian drones during the same period.
