NATO scrambles fighter jets after record Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine
NATO member Poland scrambled fighter jets and raised its air defenses to the highest state of readiness overnight as Russia launched an unprecedented aerial assault on Ukraine, firing hundreds of drones and missiles in what Kyiv described as the largest such barrage since the war began.
Poland’s operational command confirmed that fighter aircraft were deployed in response to "intensive long-range aviation activity by the Russian Federation." Ground-based air defenses and radar systems were also activated as a precautionary measure to protect Polish territory, especially regions bordering western Ukraine, News.Az reports, citing foreign sources.
"The measures taken are aimed at ensuring security in areas bordering the threatened regions," the Polish military said in a statement posted on social media. "We are fully ready for immediate response."
The escalation follows repeated waves of Russian attacks on targets near NATO’s eastern flank, with missiles and drones occasionally skimming dangerously close to alliance airspace. Romania, another NATO country bordering Ukraine, also scrambled jets earlier this month in response to similar strikes near its border.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia fired 728 drones, including more than 300 Shahed drones—which are Iranian-designed, as well as six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and seven cruise missiles at Ukrainian territory overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that most of the aerial threats had been intercepted by Ukraine’s air defense systems, including by newly deployed interceptor drones. He described the attack as featuring the “highest number of aerial targets in a single day” since the war began in February 2022.
Colonel Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian air force, told Newsweek that the primary focus of the attack appeared to be infrastructure and military targets in western Ukraine, raising further concerns among neighboring NATO nations.
While drones and missiles have occasionally entered NATO airspace during previous strikes, the alliance has so far not invoked Article 5, the cornerstone of NATO’s mutual defense pact. That clause mandates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
So far, minor incursions have been classified as accidents or indirect threats, but the frequency and intensity of recent Russian operations have prompted heightened vigilance among NATO’s eastern members.
NATO leaders have repeatedly warned Moscow that any direct attack on alliance territory would trigger a collective response. The latest developments are expected to be high on the agenda at the next NATO defense summit.
As tensions mount, Poland, Romania, and other frontline NATO states continue to coordinate closely with alliance command and reinforce their airspace monitoring capabilities.
“We are monitoring the situation with utmost seriousness,” said one NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The security of alliance members remains our top priority.”
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