Poland Scrambles NATO Jets as Russia Launches Massive Ukraine Strike

Poland deployed NATO fighter jets and temporarily closed its airspace over Lublin and Rzeszów early Sunday as Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine since the war began, involving nearly 600 drones and 48 missiles over a 12-hour period. Dutch F-35 stealth fighters and German Patriot missile batteries were positioned as a preventive measure, with Polish authorities clarifying that no violations of Polish territory were recorded.

Scope of the Russian Assault

The Russian strike marked a new peak in combined drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. According to Ukrainian air force reports, Russia launched 593 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 50 cruise and ballistic missiles, making it the largest coordinated attack since early September. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 566 drones and 45 missiles, but strikes still hit residential buildings, a cardiology institute in Kyiv, and civilian infrastructure across 16 locations, resulting in at least four fatalities, including a 12-year-old girl, and over 40 injuries.

Poland’s Defensive Posture

In response to the trans-border threat, the Polish Operational Command stated on social media platform X (formerly Twitter):

“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 three-and-a-half-hour alert saw F-35s conducting patrols along the southeastern border, supported by ground-based Patriot launches ready to engage any hostile missiles entering Polish airspace. Officials emphasized that these actions were purely defensive, aimed at securing national airspace and protecting civilian populations.

Humanitarian Toll and Ukrainian Response

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the assault as “brutal”, noting its duration of over 12 hours and its impact on major urban centers including Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, and Odesa. Emergency services in Kyiv reported multiple residential block fires and damage to critical infrastructure, stretching first-responder capabilities.

Ukraine’s air force chief stated that the high interception rate—95% for drones and 90% for missiles—demonstrates growing proficiency in countering Russia’s evolving aerial tactics, though he warned that saturation swarm attacks remain a persistent challenge.

Broader NATO Security Concerns

This incident follows a September 10 violation of Polish airspace by Russian reconnaissance drones, which prompted Warsaw to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty and launch Operation Eastern Sentry to reinforce eastern flank defenses. NATO has also bolstered its Baltic Sentry mission in response to unexplained drone incursions over Denmark, with Copenhagen imposing a temporary civilian drone ban ahead of an EU summit.

At the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that “any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response,” while denying Moscow’s involvement in recent airspace breaches.

Implications and Future Outlook

The scale and sophistication of Russia’s combined drone–missile raids underline a strategic shift toward hybrid saturation attacks, compelling NATO members to enhance integrated air-defense systems along the alliance’s eastern borders. Poland’s swift decision to scramble allied jets underscores Warsaw’s resolve to deter spillover and reassure domestic audiences of NATO’s collective defense commitment.

As Ukraine’s winter campaign approaches, analysts expect Russia to continue testing Ukrainian and NATO defenses with massed UAV swarms and long-range precision strikes. The recent escalation may prompt further NATO deployments and accelerated delivery of advanced interceptors to bolster the alliance’s deterrence posture.