Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled on Saturday to secure Polish airspace after Russia launched airstrikes targeting western Ukraine near the border with the Nato member. The operational command stated that ground-based air defence and radar systems were placed on highest alert.
Russia fired 40 missiles and around 580 drones at Ukraine in a massive attack that killed three and wounded dozens, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He described the strikes as a deliberate strategy to terrorise civilians and destroy infrastructure, urging allies to provide more air defence systems and impose additional sanctions on Moscow.
The attacks spanned nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, where one person died and 30 were wounded, and Chernihiv, where a 62-year-old man was killed. About 20 residential buildings were damaged in the Khmelnytskyi region, with one body found in a fire.
Separately, three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland, prompting Italian F-35 jets attached to Nato's Baltic air defence mission to intercept them. Estonia condemned the incursion, and Nato chief Mark Rutte praised the quick response. Russia denied the violation, claiming the flight complied with international regulations.
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans to explore using frozen Russian assets to fund a reparations loan for Ukraine, potentially providing billions of pounds for its war effort.
