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By Brendan Cole, Shane Croucher, and John Feng
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NATO member Poland has said it scrambled fighter jets as Russia carried out large-scale strikes on neighboring Ukraine on Wednesday.
"Duty fighter pairs and an early warning aircraft have been scrambled, and ground-based air defense systems as well as radio detection and ranging reconnaissance systems have reached a state of maximum readiness," said Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces in a post on X.
Newsweek contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment by email.
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Why It Matters
In September, Polish jets shot down Russian drones that had entered its airspace during an attack on Ukraine. It was the first time that a NATO member had fired shots since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion.
Poland and its fellow NATO allies have expressed alarm at Russian drones, and sometimes aircraft, breaching its airspace. The scrambling of NATO aircraft on Wednesday will add to concerns that war in Ukraine could spill over into the alliance, either deliberately or inadvertently.
Wednesday's incident also comes amid heightened tension for Warsaw, whose authorities said that explosives found on railway lines at the weekend were part of a "sabotage" attack.
What To Know
Airports in the Polish cities of Rzeszow and Lublin airports were temporarily closed to allow the military jets free passage on Wednesday.
Russia's latest missile and drone attacks focused on the west of Ukraine near the Polish border. A large fire was reported in Lviv, and images posted on social media showed a huge plume of smoke across the city. Local authorities in the Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts reported attacks on energy and other critical infrastructure.
The eastern city of Kharkiv was also targeted, and dozens were injured in strikes on apartment blocks with Geran-2 drones launched by Moscow. Many regions were also left without power throughout the country, according to CNN.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian forces had fired 470 drones and 48 missiles across Ukraine, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Zelensky said the barrage highlighted the need for "effective sanctions" against Russia and further support for Kyiv.
Wednesday's attacks will add to calls to improve Ukraine's air defenses. The U.S. State Department approved a possible $105 million sale that would allow Ukraine to upgrade its Patriot air defense system, which the Pentagon said would help Kyiv "conduct self-defense and regional security missions."
During a visit to Paris on Monday, Zelensky struck a deal to purchase up to 100 French-made Rafale fighter jets and anti-air defenses and drones from France.
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What People Are Saying
Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces wrote on X: "These actions are of a preventive nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and its protection, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions."
Ukraine's energy ministry said in a statement: "Russia is again attacking our energy infrastructure. Because of this, emergency power outages have been introduced in a number of regions of Ukraine."
What Happens Next
Russia is likely to continue its drone and missile barrages on all parts of Ukraine as its war continues.
Meanwhile, Zelensky said he would visit Turkey on Wednesday to "reinvigorate" the prospect of negotiations with Russia in talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The talks may also include President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Reuters. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there would be no Russian representatives present at Wednesday's talks.
Update 11/19/25, 04.30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with further information.
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