A NATO member country was forced to scramble fighter jets overnight following yet another wave of Russian strikes over Ukraine. Posting on X at 4am UTC, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command (Dowództwo Operacyjne Rodzajów Sił Zbrojnych) wrote: “Attention. In connection with another massive attack by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine in recent times, conducted using air assault means, the operation of Polish and allied aviation has commenced in our airspace.”
It added that duty fighter jets and an early warning aircraft had been scrambled, while ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance “reached a state of maximum readiness”. The armed force unit said these actions were of a “preventative nature” and were aimed at “securing the airspace and its protection,” particularly in areas near threatened zones. “The Operational Command of the RSZ is monitoring the current situation, and the subordinate forces and means remain ready for immediate response,” it added.
According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, on the night of February 26, the Poltava region was attacked by Russians, with strikes on industrial enterprises and private households in the city and the region. Damage to technological equipment and production facilities, as well as to a private residential building and power transmission lines, was reported.
Restoration work is currently ongoing, the service said, adding that the fires had been extinguished and that no deaths or injuries had been reported.
Two hours after its first post on X, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command posted an update stating that military aviation operations in Polish airspace had concluded and that ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems had returned to standard operational activities.
“We inform that no violation of the RP’s airspace was observed. We thank @NATO, @NATO_AIRCOM, and the German Air Forc #Luftwaffe, whose aircraft helped ensure safety in Polish skies today. We also extend thanks to the Dutch Armed Forces @Defensie for support with air defense systems.”
NATO has been forced to scramble its jets several times over the past four years of war amid fears of a border spillover during Russian strikes on Ukraine. A strike on NATO territory could have serious ramifications, and potentially dragging the whole alliance into a conflict with the Kremlin.
This comes as Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call on Wednesday (February 25) that he wanted to push for an end to the war with Russia as soon as possible. Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky that he would work to organise such a summit if the next meeting of US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators made more progress.
Mr Trump also reiterated his willingness to give Ukraine significant US security guarantees as part of a potential peace deal with Russia. According to Axios, Mr Trump aims to reach a peace deal by summer, however, there are still significant gaps between Ukraine and Russia, particularly on the issue of territorial control in eastern Ukraine.