Russia launched attack on several Ukrainian cities, Poland scrambled fighter jets

(Patria) - Russia launched one of the largest air attacks in recent times overnight, using missiles and drones against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Air raid warnings were sounded across the country, including areas far from the front line.

At around 1:45 a.m., five Tu-95 bombers took off from the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region, while shortly after, at 2:25 a.m., the Kyiv military administration warned of a MiG-31K launch, leading to mass alerts across the country, reports the Kyiv Independent.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that takeoffs were also recorded from the Engels airbase at 3:52 a.m. During the night, the attacks also included numerous swarms of Shahed drones, and explosions rocked Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi region, and Sumy.

The greatest destruction was recorded in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia. In the capital, damage was caused to residential and non-residential buildings and vehicles. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed at least five injured people who were hospitalized, warning that the attacks were still ongoing. Fires broke out in several facilities in the vicinity of Kyiv, and in Fastiv, a fire in a bakery injured five employees.

Zaporizhzhia also suffered heavy strikes - nine houses, 14 apartment buildings, one school, and industrial facilities were damaged. According to Governor Ivan Fedorov, five civilians were injured in the attacks.

"Personal belongings, children's toys, and books are burning - people are going through the same suffering again," said Regina Kharchenko from the Zaporizhzhia City Council.

Explosions also echoed in the Khmelnytskyi region, but according to initial information, there were no casualties.

Poland, due to the proximity of the attacks to western parts of Ukraine, scrambled its fighter jets, and the airspace over Lublin and Rzeszow was temporarily closed due to unscheduled military activities. These events further heighten tensions, as incidents with Russian aircraft in NATO airspace are increasingly recorded.

Officials warn that Moscow is intensifying air strikes as winter approaches, with energy infrastructure increasingly becoming the main target.

These attacks came shortly after a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Trump then stated that Ukraine, with EU support, has the ability to reclaim its entire territory and issued open criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I don't like what he's doing. They are killing people for no reason."

Despite the sharp rhetoric, Washington has still not imposed new sanctions against Moscow. At the same time, the proposal for a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine is being discussed again, and NATO has activated the Eastern Guard mission to strengthen security measures in the region.