NATO scrambles warplanes in Poland as Putin uses nuke-capable strategic bombers to pound neighbouring Ukraine
NATO was forced to scramble its warplanes in Poland today as Vladimir Putin used strategic bombers to attack neighbouring Ukraine.
The strikes came despite Vladimir Putin insisting he wanted peace ‘as soon as possible’.
Putin used Tu-95MS nuclear-capable strategic bombers, causing panic in Kyiv as residents rushed for the metro underground shelters.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Sumy, as well as in Kyiv and Cherkasy regions.
Drones were also used by Russia with several people suffering injuries.
‘Attention, due to the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, striking targets located, in particular, in the west of Ukraine, military aviation has begun to operate in the airspace of Poland,’ said Warsaw’s armed forces operation command headquarters.
Ground-based air defences and radar reconnaissance systems were also ‘put on alert’.
Putin used Tu-95MS nuclear-capable strategic bombers, causing panic in Kyiv as residents rushed for the metro underground shelters
Emergency workers search for a civilian in the rubble in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine
The NATO action was defensive amid fears Russia was unleashing missiles close to the Polish border.
The attacks on Ukraine were reported to be continuing.
At least two Tu-95MS bombers were reported taking off from Olenya air base in the Arctic.
All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts starting at around 0350 GMT after the country’s air force warned of the oncoming Russian attack that also forced Poland to scramble NATO aircraft to ensure air safety.
The full scale of the attack was not immediately clear.
There was no comment from Russia.
