NATO fighter jets and an early-warning aircraft were scrambled as Russia launched a major wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, striking residential buildings and leaving scores of civilians injured.
Russian forces targeted several Ukrainian cities during the overnight bombardment, including Kharkiv, Ternopil and Lviv.
In Kharkiv, at least 46 people were reported injured, including two children, as drones struck apartment buildings, vehicles, shops and civilian businesses.
Ternopil was also heavily hit, with a residential tower block struck while people were inside. Ukrainian authorities reported deaths and dozens of casualties, with rescue teams searching rubble amid fears people remained trapped.
NATO aircraft scrambled
The attacks triggered a significant response from NATO countries bordering Ukraine.
Romania scrambled two German Eurofighter Typhoons and two Romanian F-16 fighter jets as Russian strikes took place close to NATO territory.
There were also concerns that a Russian drone may have entered Romanian airspace, with Romanian authorities reporting an unidentified drone appearing intermittently on radar for around 12 minutes. An emergency Ro-Alert warning was issued in northern Galați County.
Poland simultaneously activated its own defences.
Polish and allied fighter aircraft were deployed, an early-warning aircraft was scrambled and ground-based air defence and radar systems were placed at their highest state of readiness.
Poland’s military stressed that the measures were preventative and designed to protect NATO airspace near areas threatened by the Russian attacks.
A NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft was also operating over Poland, monitoring activity around Ukrainian airspace.
Residential tower devastated
Ukrainian sources described the strike on the high-rise building in Ternopil as a “deliberate war crime”, while emergency crews carried out a major rescue operation at the devastated building.
Power and heating cuts were also reported as temperatures dropped below freezing, while strikes were reported against energy infrastructure, including the Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant.
The escalation came amid renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a route towards ending the war.
