America is the backbone of NATO. An attack on one is an attack on all.
And now NATO nations are scrambling jets after a new threat popped up on the radar.
Massive Russian Barrage Targets Western Ukraine
In one of the most intense aerial assaults of the conflict to date, Russian forces unleashed a devastating wave of attacks on Ukraine’s western regions overnight, prompting swift reactions from neighboring NATO members to safeguard their borders.
Fighter jets from Poland, Romania, Germany, Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands were rapidly deployed across airspace adjacent to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that Moscow fired 476 drones, 47 cruise missiles, and one ballistic missile, with a heavy focus on cities like Ternopil and Lviv.
Heavy Toll in Ternopil and Fierce Ukrainian Defense
The city of Ternopil, located roughly 225 miles west of Kyiv and just 110 miles from the Polish border, bore the brunt of the onslaught. Strikes severely damaged two apartment buildings, leaving at least 20 dead—including two children—and injuring 66 others, among them 16 children.
Ukraine’s air force countered aggressively, deploying Western-supplied fighters such as U.S. F-16s and French Mirage-2000s. In total, defenders intercepted 41 cruise missiles, with 10 downed by these advanced jets.
The BBC highlighted that this exceptionally large-scale and lethal operation followed closely after Ukraine’s first acknowledged use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles on Russian territory during the Trump administration.
NATO’s Vigilant Response on the Eastern Flank
Poland’s Operational Command (DORSZ) activated multiple “duty pairs” of allied fighters, supported by an AWACS surveillance aircraft. To ensure safe operations, civilian flights were rerouted, and airports in Rzeszów and Lublin were briefly shut down.
No Russian projectiles crossed into Polish territory, and officials extended gratitude to the air forces of Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany’s missile defense units for their role in maintaining security.
In Romania, pairs of F-16s and German Eurofighters were launched after a Russian drone temporarily violated national airspace, later moving through Ukrainian and Moldovan territory before re-entering Romania. The drone is thought to have crashed, though its final location remains unclear.
Zelenskyy’s Call for Stronger Support
In the wake of the strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated: “Every brazen attack against ordinary life proves that the pressure on Russia is still insufficient. Effective sanctions and assistance for Ukraine can change this.
The top priority is air defense missiles, additional systems, expanded capabilities for our combat aviation, and drone production to protect lives.”
