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It came as three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace last night, a move described by the country’s foreign ministry as ‘unprecedentedly brazen’
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Polish fighter jets were scrambled overnight to protect the Nato-member country’s airspace during a major Russian air attack across Ukraine.
Polish aircraft and air defences were at the “highest state of readiness,” the operational command said on X, as more than 600 drones and missiles were fired at Ukraine overnight in an air attack which killed at least three and injured dozens.
European countries are on high alert following a string of Russian incursions into Nato territory, as Moscow’s forces continue to probe and provoke the alliance’s defences.
An incursion of three fighter jets into Estonian airspace last night was dismissed by Moscow as a “scheduled” flight carried out in “strict accordance” with airspace rules.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian territory on Friday night where they remained without permission for 12 minutes, the Estonian foreign ministry said.
US president Donald Trump has warned of “big trouble” as he grows increasingly dismayed by Russia’s provocations, including repeated drone and fighter jet incursions intoneighbouring countries including Poland and Romania.
“I don’t love it. I don’t like when that happens. Could be big trouble,” he told reporters, adding that he was yet to be fully briefed on the situation.
Nato will meet in Estonia early next week to discuss the Russian incursion.
Frozen Russian assets could be used to fund billions of pounds worth of Ukraine’s war effort, Rachel Reeves will announce.
The chancellor will say it is the “right to explore all options to support Ukraine”, at a meeting with her European counterparts in Copenhagen on Saturday.
It comes after Russia provoked global outrage when its jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday.
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin with the full report:
We’re getting more detail through on Russia’s huge overnight air attack on Ukraine overnight.
At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, local governor Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro.
In the Kyiv region, local authorities said there were strikes in the areas of Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv. A home and cars were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, Gov. Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down.
Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said this morning, including 579 drones, eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles were detected. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles.
“During the air strike, tactical aviation, in particular F-16 fighters, effectively worked on the enemy’s cruise missiles. Western weapons once again prove their effectiveness on the battlefield,” the Air Force said in a statement.
Poland’s Operational Command on Saturday said Polish and allied aircraft were deployed again overnight, due to Russian long-range airstrikes in neighboring Ukraine.
“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” the operational command said in a post on X.
At 5:40am local time (4:40am UK time), nearly all of Ukraine was under air raid alerts following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks.
Shortly after 5am, Polish and allied air forces ended the operation as airstrikes by the Russian Federation against Ukraine were ceased, the Polish command said, adding that the actions were “preventative and aimed at securing airspace in areas adjacent to the threatened area”.
In a post on X later, the operational command described the operation as “preventive,” and “aimed at securing the airspace in areas adjacent to the threatened zone.”
Polish jets have been deployed repeatedly in recent months to patrol the country’s airspace in connection with Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Last week, fellow Nato member Romania said it deployed two F-16 jets to intercept a drone that briefly entered its airspace.
Republican and Democratic senators are seeking a bill which would target Russia’s “shadow fleet”.
The “Sanctioning Harbors and Dodgers of Western Sanctions,” or SHADOW Fleets Act, would provide a list of indicators the US could use to identify vessels supporting the fleet, making it easier to sanction them sooner.
It would also put in place strict sanctions liability for any ship that engages in a transfer with a sanctioned Russian vessel.
US Senator Jim Risch said: “Putin will use every trick in the book to evade U.S. sanctions, and the U.S. is cracking down on this illicit shadow fleet of ships that he uses to fund his war.
“These ships and the oil sales they facilitate directly threaten American and European security, and will be stopped.”
UK officials have joined leaders across Europe in condemning Russia’s incursion into NATO airspace today.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “This is yet another edition of the Putin playbook.
“Putin’s aggression only serves to strengthen the unity of NATO and our resolve to stand with Ukraine.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was standing in solidarity with its Estonian allies, calling the incursion “reckless”
“We must continue to increase pressure on Putin, including driving forward the important new economic sanctions announced by the UK & EU in recent days,” she said.
A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack struck multiple regions across Ukraine early on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the assaults impacted nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv.
“The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multi-story building in the city of Dnipro.
Read more on Russia’s latest deadly air attack on Ukraine:
Britain’s top spy has delivered a stark warning that Vladimir Putin harbours “absolutely no evidence” of a genuine desire to negotiate a peace deal for Ukraine, accusing the Russian leader of “stringing us along”.
Sir Richard Moore, the head of MI6, who will step down in September after five years, made the comments in an outgoing speech. He noted that despite months of US-led talks and Donald Trump’s ultimatums, a truce appears no closer.
Speaking at the British consulate in Istanbul on Friday, Sir Richard reiterated there was “absolutely no evidence” the Russian leader wants to settle the conflict. Instead, he suggested Mr Putin seeks to “impose his imperial will by all means at his disposal”.
“But he cannot succeed,” Sir Richard said.
Read the full report:
Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will meet US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week in comments made to reporters.
The Ukrainian president will hold “a meeting with the President of the United States” in which he will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, he said.
Mr Zelensky and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are due to address the General Assembly. Russian president Vladimir Putin does not traditionally attend the annual UN gathering.
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