Poland scrambles Air Force amid Russian strikes on Ukraine

The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command has announced that the Polish and allied fighter jets began operating in Poland's airspace amid the intensified Russian attacks on targets in western Ukraine.

Additional fighter jets have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance units have been placed on the highest level of readiness, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

"Due to the massive attack by the Russian Federation, which is striking targets, including those in western Ukraine, with cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, Polish and allied aviation has begun operations in our airspace," the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command said.  

According to the communiqué, these measures are aimed at ensuring security in areas bordering territories which are under threat. 

"The Operational Command is closely monitoring the current situation, and subordinate forces and assets remain in full readiness for immediate response," the statement reads.

Several explosions rocked Kyiv on November 17 morning during a massive Russian missile strike on targets across Ukraine. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that a fire broke out in the city centre as a result of debris from a downed missile. Two people were injured in the attack. Explosions also occurred in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Cherkasy, and other Ukrainian cities. From the early morning of November 17, Russian forces began launching massive strikes on infrastructure across all regions of Ukraine.

Reports have been coming in about explosions in Pavlohrad, Kramatorsk, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and other regions. 

According to RVvoenkor Telegram channel, the strikes are targeting infrastructure. "Ukrenergo" national power company has started emergency power outages in response.  

Numerous missiles have been detected in the air. According to "Tsargrad" TV channel, this is the most intense attack since the beginning of the special military operation.  

The red alert zone on the map now includes Kyiv, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions, as well as the areas of Zaporizhzhia controlled by Ukrainian forces. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike across the entire territory of Ukraine. 

"There is a massive strike across all regions of Ukraine. Throughout the night and morning, the Russians used various types of drones, including 'Shaheds'. They also launched cruise, ballistic, and air-launched ballistic missiles: 'Zircons', 'Iskanders', and 'Kinzhal'. In total, around 120 missiles and 90 drones," Zelenskyy commented on the Russian military's attack on Telegram. 

He stated that the target of the Russian military was the country's energy infrastructure and acknowledged the damage to several facilities from direct hits and falling debris. Some areas were left without power, but "all necessary forces have been mobilized to mitigate the consequences."

By Naila Huseynova