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NATO air forces sprang into action overnight to safeguard the alliance’s eastern airspace following a ferocious and lethal Russian airstrike targeting western Ukraine.
Fighter jets from Poland, Romania, Germany, Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands were mobilized in dual deployments over Poland and Romania. This response coincided with a barrage of Russian attacks on western Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia unleashed 476 drones, 47 cruise missiles, and a ballistic missile, with significant strikes on the western cities of Ternopil and Lviv.
In Ternopil, located roughly 225 miles west of Kyiv and just 110 miles from the Polish border, at least 20 people lost their lives. Tragically, this number includes two children. Additionally, 66 individuals were injured, among them 16 children, as two apartment buildings sustained severe damage.
Ukraine countered the assault by deploying its own Western-manufactured fighter jets, including American F-16s and French Mirage-2000s, in an effort to intercept the Russian missiles. Ukrainian authorities claimed to have shot down 41 cruise missiles, with 10 neutralized by jets supplied by Western allies.
The BBC highlighted the unprecedented scale and impact of the Russian air raid, which occurred a day after Ukraine reportedly deployed U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against Russian targets, marking a first during the current administration’s tenure.
The BBC notes the unusually large and deadly Russian air raid came one day after Ukraine said it had used U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against targets inside Russia, the first time this has happened under the Trump Presidency.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces (DORSZ) in Warsaw, Poland said it scrambled NATO jets overnight to protect the alliance’s airspace. Although exactly how many jets were deployed was not revealed, it was stated there were more than one “duty pair” of jets scrambled as well as an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) radar plane to watch the skies.
To give the fighters clear skies, civilian air traffic was redirected and two airports in Rzeszów and Lublin were temporarily closed.
In an update after the defensive mission completed, they confirmed no Russian drones or missiles were detected having entered Polish airspace, and DORSZ expressed thanks to the Royal Norwegian Airforce, Spanish Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force aircraft, and the German army’s missile defence systems which all “helped ensure safety in Polish skies today”.
Meanwhile Ukraine’s southern neighbour Romania — also a NATO member — also launched an air patrol mission in response to the massive Russian air raid. Romanian F-16 and German Eurofighter jet pairs were scrambled to monitor what the Ministry of Defence said was a Russian drone which briefly entered Romanian airspace, then crossed into Ukrainian and Moldovan territory, before entering Romania again.
The drone is believed to have crashed, although it is not clear where.
Responding to the airstrike overnight, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said: ““Every brazen attack against ordinary life proves that the pressure on Russia is still insufficient. Effective sanctions and assistance for Ukraine can change this. The top priority is air defense missiles, additional systems, expanded capabilities for our combat aviation, and drone production to protect lives.”