By Joy Pillai

Copyright india

Warsaw: In the latest development in escalating tensions between Russia and NATO nations fighter jets of the Polish Air Force and allied nations were scrambled on Saturday as Russia conducted a major aerial strike on Ukraine. It also launched a large-scale aerial attack near the western border with Poland CNN reported. The airstrike came hours after the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation announced that it intercepted three Russian fighter aircraft which were flying over Estonias airspace. European countries are on high alert after Moscow’s continuous airspace violations.
What Did Polish Military Say On The Development?
The polish military took to X and said Due to the activity of the Russian Federations long-range aviation which is carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace. Duty fighter pairs have been scrambled and ground-based air defence systems as well as radiolocation reconnaissance have reached a state of maximum readiness.”
How Did Ukraine React to Russia’s Large-Scale Aerial Assault?
Ukraines Air Force stated that about 579 Russian attack drones dummy drones eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles jolted the war-torn country early on Saturday.
“All night Ukraine was under a massive attack by Russia. Every such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to terrorise civilians and destroy our infrastructure. That is why a strong international response is needed” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said CNN reported.
8 Killed Several Injured In Last 24 Hours
Regional authorities said eight people were killed and at least 32 were injured in Russian strikes over the last 24 hours.
On Friday NATO fighter jets intercepted three Russian MiG-31 aircraft that violated Estonian airspace in what Tallinn described as an unprecedentedly brazen incident. The Estonian foreign ministry said the Russian jets flew over the Gulf of Finland without permission had their transponders switched off and carried no flight plans putting other aircraft at risk.
According to CNN Italian F-35s deployed in Estonia as part of NATOs Eastern Sentry operation together with Swedish and Finnish aircraft responded to the intrusion. Russia however denied its aircraft had entered Estonian airspace claiming the flight was conducted in strict accordance with international rules and without violating the borders of other countries.
Estonia has since requested NATO Article 4 consultations the mechanism that allows any member to raise security concerns with the alliances main decision-making body. A meeting is scheduled early next week.
Russian Drones Violated Polish And Romanian Airspaces
Russian drones violated the airspace of Poland and Romania earlier this month prompting NATO allies to strengthen their eastern defenses.
NATO forces intercepted and shot down several Russian drones over Poland marking the first use of force by the alliance since the onset of Russias invasion in February 2022.
NATO condemned Russias actions as absolutely dangerous amid ongoing tensions.
The escalation occurs while peace negotiations remain stalled as Ukraine seeks long-term security guarantees from its allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly to discuss security guarantees while efforts to arrange a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin have not yet been successful.
(With Agency Inputs)