Poland Scrambles Jets as Russian Missiles Hit Near Border

Poland, a NATO member, scrambled fighter jets early Sunday after Russia launched airstrikes on Ukraine, with explosions reported near the Polish border in Ukraine’s Lviv region.

Poland’s military said its own and allied aircraft were active in its airspace and that air defenses were on high alert. The move comes as Eastern European NATO countries remain watchful after recent airspace incidents involving suspected Russian drones.

Ukrainian officials said missiles and drones targeted the western city of Lviv, located just 70 km (43 miles) from Poland. Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, said Ukrainian air defenses were active and warned people to stay indoors.

Parts of the city lost electricity, and public transportation was halted due to the danger.

Overnight, all of Ukraine was under air raid alerts. A separate attack in the Zaporizhzhia region left one person dead and nine injured, according to local authorities. Homes and cars were damaged, and more than 73,000 people lost power.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located nearby and controlled by Russia, remains cut off from external power — raising safety concerns.

In neighboring countries, aviation was also disrupted. Lithuania’s airport in Vilnius was closed for hours Saturday night due to reports of unidentified balloons.

Flight tracking websites showed rerouted commercial flights in eastern Poland, although no official notices were posted by the U.S. FAA.

Russia and Ukraine have frequently targeted each other’s energy and transport infrastructure since the war began. There has been no official comment from Russia yet about the latest attacks.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has urged both sides to work together to prevent a disaster near the nuclear plant.