 "The photograph shows an F-16 fighter plane from Poland during an air policing mission along with a Nato allied aircraft on March 24, 2022. (Representative Image, Credit: Reuters)")
The military alliance Nato scrambled fighter planes in Poland as Russia rattled the election-bound country with hundreds of missiles and drones.
Russia launched the largest-ever drone and missile attack on Ukraine on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Whenever Russia and Ukraine engage in aerial battles, missiles, drones, and interceptors often fly close to Polish airspace and at times fly through Polish airspace.
The Russian barrage came days ahead of the high-stakes presidential election on June 1 in which liberal, pro-European Union (EU) Rafal Trzaskowski is tied with nationalist Karol Nawrocki. US President Donald Trump, who has supported far-right parties across Europe, has subtly indicated support for Nawrocki.
Russian barrage rattles Poland & Nato
As Russia carried out the largest aerial attack on Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft stationed in the country were scrambled.
US and British warplanes are stationed in Poland as part of Nato’s collective defence commitment.
Poland’s military said in a statement that Polish and allied aircraft had taken off amid “renewed activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation carrying out missile strikes on facilities located in the territory of Ukraine”.
“All necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace have been activated. The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces is monitoring the current situation, with subordinate forces and resources remaining in full readiness for an immediate response,” the statement further said.
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This is not the first time that Polish and allied aircraft have been scrambled in the wake of Russian aggression.
Last week, Polish fighter planes intercepted a Russian bomber in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. In February, as Russia attacked Ukraine, Poland had scrambled its fighter planes . Before that, Nato and Polish warplanes and air defence systems were activated in January as Russia attacked Ukrainian critical infrastructure close to the border with Poland in the western part of the country.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRussia launches largest-ever attack on Ukraine
Ukraine said on Monday that Russia launched 357 drones and missiles at Ukraine that killed at least 12 people and injured 30. The attacks have come at a time when US President Donald Trump has accepted Russia’s position in the war and has rebuffed Ukraine and Europe’s demand to press Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire.
Ukraine said that Russia launched 298 drones and 69 missiles in the overnight attack. It said that it intercepted 266 drones and 45 missiles.
The missiles that got through struck Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Ternopil, and areas surrounding Kyiv, and killed at least 12 people, officials told Reuters.
The largest barrage so far came a week after Russia launched 273 drones and missiles at Ukraine , which was until the last night’s attack the largest attack on Ukraine in the ongoing war.
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The New York Times has reported Ukrainian officials as saying that Russia has launched at least 1,390 drones and 94 missiles into Ukraine over the past week which have killed at least 30 civilians and injured more than 163.
In recent weeks, Russia has ramped attacks on Ukraine as Trump has emboldened Vladimir Putin by endorsing his position in the war and rebuffing Ukraine and Europe. He has also indicated he could soon withdraw the United States completely from mediation — he has already ended the shuttle diplomacy .
It is an open secret that Putin uses direct talks —which Trump has endorsed instead of a ceasefire— to prolong the conflict and buy time to maximise the pressure on Ukraine to seek a deal that fulfils as much of his maximalist demands as possible.
The Times has reported that as Ukraine is running out interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defence systems, deaths and damage from Russian airstrikes is continue to increase in the coming days.
Trump has berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for wanting to buy more Patriot missiles and systems from the United States. He has called him a warmonger for making such demands — while he has essentially done nothing to pressurise Putin to end the war.