NATO activated its Baltic air policing mission early Tuesday, scrambling fighter jets over eastern Europe as Russia launched a fresh aerial assault on Ukraine. Finland and Latvia imposed restrictions on air and maritime traffic near Russian borders, and border crossings into Romania were also affected while the attack unfolded.
The Russian strike, employing both missiles and drones, hit the Kyiv region, killing at least nine people and wounding more than a dozen, including women and children. Ukrainian officials said the attacks targeted military and energy facilities, marking the sixth consecutive day of strikes on the capital. In Moscow, mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that over a dozen drones heading for the city were shot down by Russian air defenses.
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb said China had privately assured him it would not permit Russia to use nuclear weapons, a statement he presented as a deterrent. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov at a G20 finance leaders’ gathering in Asheville, emphasizing that no economic relief or agreements would be offered until Russia ends its war in Ukraine. European finance ministers expressed disappointment at Russia’s presence, warning of further sanctions.
The conflict also disrupted civilian life in Ukraine. Russian attacks earlier this year destroyed about a million school textbooks, and a plant near Kyiv that was producing 1.3 million copies was hit, delaying the start of the school year. Authorities continue to rely on air‑raid shelters and online classes as they assess safety for returning students.
