NATO and Polish air forces were on alert early Sunday (September 28) in response to a large Russian drone and missile attack in Ukraine. The Polish Operational Command said in a post on its X handle that joint air operations in Polish airspace were initiated due to the activities of the Russian long-range air force.
Polish and allied fighters were mobilized on alert. Ground-based air defense systems and radars were also put on high alert. The command said the measures were preventive and aimed at protecting airspace and ensuring the safety of citizens.
The forces on alert included Dutch F-35 stealth fighters and German Patriot missile systems. The airspace over Lublin and Rzeszów, on the Ukrainian border, was also temporarily closed. The alert was lifted after about three and a half hours.
The main target of the Russian attack was Kiev. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that attacks were also carried out in Zaporizhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy and Odessa. The attack lasted more than 12 hours.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia fired 593 drones and 50 missiles. The defense forces shot down 566 drones and 45 missiles. Five missiles and 31 drones hit 16 locations. At least four people were killed in Kiev, including a 12-year-old girl. At least 14 were injured. More than 15 locations were damaged. A multi-story residential building was also attacked.
A five-story apartment building was destroyed and caught fire in the Solomyansky district. A state medical center, warehouses, private homes, cars, and a children’s education center were damaged. At least 31 people, including three children, were injured in the Russian attack on Zaporizhia, which destroyed high-rise buildings and other structures in the city, which is just 16 miles from the war zone and is home to more than 710,000 people.
Zelensky said Russia’s attack was “cowardly” and revealed its true position. He added that Moscow wanted to continue the war and should face tough international pressure. Zelenskyy called on the international community to take action to stop Russia’s energy export chain.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces destroyed at least 41 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia has imposed a temporary flight ban at Moscow’s Zhukovsky and other airports. Restrictions have also been imposed at airports in Volgograd, Kaluga, Penza, Samara, Pskov and Yaroslavl.
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