Polish and NATO fighter jets were scrambled early Saturday after Russia unleashed a massive overnight aerial assault on Ukraine, striking targets close to Poland’s border and sparking heightened military readiness across Eastern Europe.
The Polish Armed Forces confirmed that “duty fighter pairs” had been launched, with air defense systems and radar networks placed on maximum alert. “Due to the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation, which is carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace,” the military said in a statement on X.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 579 attack drones and decoy drones overnight, in addition to eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles. At least eight people were killed and more than 30 injured in the strikes, regional authorities said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault as “deliberate terror,” calling for a stronger international response to Russia’s campaign.
The wave of Russian attacks came just hours after NATO reported intercepting three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets that violated Estonian airspace. According to Tallinn, the aircraft crossed into Estonian territory over the Gulf of Finland, remaining there for 12 minutes in what the country’s foreign ministry described as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incident.
Italian F-35 jets, deployed under NATO’s Eastern Sentry operation, responded to the intrusion, supported by Swedish and Finnish aircraft. Russia, however, denied the violation, claiming its flight was conducted “in strict accordance with international rules.”
Estonia has formally requested NATO Article 4 consultations, a mechanism allowing member states to bring pressing security issues before the alliance’s governing body. The consultations are scheduled for early next week, underscoring mounting concern within NATO over Russia’s increasingly aggressive tactics.
The developments follow a string of recent incidents involving Russian drones crossing NATO territory. Earlier this month, drones violated Polish and Romanian airspace during strikes on Ukraine, prompting allies to reinforce defenses along the bloc’s eastern flank.
In another significant escalation, NATO fighter jets recently shot down multiple Russian drones inside Polish airspace — the first time the alliance has fired shots in direct response since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
NATO has repeatedly denounced Russia’s actions as “reckless” and “dangerous,” warning that deliberate or accidental strikes inside allied territory could have grave consequences. The latest escalation highlights the increasingly fragile security environment along NATO’s borders and raises concerns about potential spillover of the Ukraine war into neighboring states.
For Ukraine, the overnight strikes represent yet another brutal wave in Moscow’s ongoing campaign to cripple infrastructure and terrorize civilians. “Every such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to destroy our lives,” Zelensky said in a televised address.
With NATO on heightened alert and consultations imminent, both Eastern Europe and the broader international community face growing pressure to decide how far they are willing to go in deterring Russia’s escalating provocations.