Poland Scrambles Jets as Russian Drones Hit Ukraine, NATO Intervenes

Poland scrambled fighter jets in the early hours of Tuesday after Russia launched jet‑powered drones across Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force issued warnings urging civilians to seek shelter as the drones were fired over the country.

It is unclear how many drones were launched, but some appear to have crossed Ukraine’s borders. A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania, close to Kaunas, shortly after midnight. Lithuanian officials said the drone likely entered from Belarus, and a drone alert was issued in Vilnius and surrounding areas.

The incidents have heightened concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spill over NATO borders. In a nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would support a U.S.–led ceasefire proposal that protects energy sites, but only if Washington can ensure Moscow is genuinely ready to comply.

The United States has imposed additional sanctions on Russia’s VTB Bank for its role in Iranian sanctions evasion. The Treasury announced that VTB had opened offices in Iran and facilitated financial channels between Moscow and Tehran, and that it would continue to target those supporting the Iranian regime.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a message to President Vladimir Putin, pledged to deepen cooperation with Russia and expressed confidence in Russia’s victory in the “sacred war for defending the security interests of the country and international justice.” The statement comes as North Korea has sent troops to support Russian forces in Ukraine.

Other incidents include a Ukrainian animal rescuer injured when a Russian drone struck his vehicle while saving dogs near Kramatorsk, and a drone attack that hit a petrol station and warehouse in Kyiv. In Russia, a drone damaged an industrial facility in Samara and a missile struck an Ozon warehouse in Taganrog. NATO’s Baltic Air Defence mission has continued to patrol the skies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, shooting down stray Ukrainian drones in recent months.