Poland scrambles fighter jets as Russia strikes western Ukraine

Countries along NATO’s eastern flank are growing increasingly concerned about the risk of escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Poland has scrambled its defences once again as Russian attacks overnight hit western Ukraine close to Poland’s border.

Poland’s armed forces said on Friday that they had scrambled fighter jets during the attacks and no violation of the country’s airspace was recorded.

It was just the latest such alert as Poland and other countries along NATO’s eastern flank grow increasingly concerned over the risk of escalation of the war in Ukraine as Russia appears to be accelerating its tests of regional defences. Later on Friday, Bulgaria’s defence minister said Sofia has requested help from NATO to bolster its defences.

During air attacks across Ukraine overnight, numerous strikes hit the Volyn region, cutting electricity to 370,000 people across the western district, which sits on the border with Poland. Governor Roman Romaniuk reported that two people were injured.

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, a drone attack killed three people and injured five, the regional governor said. In central Ukraine, police said strikes on an apartment block in Uman injured a similar number.

Private power company DTEK announced on Friday that it had implemented emergency power cuts across Kyiv due to ongoing strikes.

In Russia, officials said air defences had blocked a Ukrainian drone attack against a heating plant in the Vladimir region.

Ukraine has had significant success in attacking Russia’s energy infrastructure and its oil refineries in particular. However, that strategy has provoked anger from United States President Donald Trump, who has blamed Ukraine for pushing up global oil prices.

Russia said it shot down 644 Ukrainian drones overnight, 94 of them headed for Moscow.

Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said the capital’s four airports and St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport had suspended operations.

Ukrainian attacks killed two people in the Russian-controlled ‌Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, the Russian-installed ⁠governor said.

Concern over Russian activity near NATO territory has grown since the summer as Romania, Moldova, Poland and the Baltic states reported numerous intrusions of drones into their airspace and waters.

That activity appears to be becoming more bellicose. In recent weeks, drones have struck at least seven cargo ships off the Black Sea coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, leaving 25 people dead or missing.

Drones hit two ships off ⁠Romania’s coast this week. A hit on a commercial vessel that sank off Bulgaria’s coast on Tuesday prompted Sofia to summon Russia’s ambassador.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Friday that while the evidence pointed to Russia, his government does not have proof.

Shortly afterwards, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters that Bulgaria ‌has formally asked NATO to deploy combat ⁠aircraft and ⁠antidrone systems to bolster its defences.

“We have sent letters and a request to the NATO ⁠Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander, ⁠urging them to strengthen our capabilities, which also means deploying additional forces on our territory. We are awaiting their decision,” Stoyanov said.

NATO did ⁠not immediately respond to a request for comment, the Reuters news agency reported.

Stoyanov said he plans to ⁠meet his Romanian and Turkish counterparts ⁠soon to discuss coordinating action and a common approach to the situation in the Black Sea.

Bulgaria, which has proposed a moratorium ‌on attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, also expects to join a NATO antidrone initiative by ‌the ‌end of October.

Romania’s president has also said that his country has asked for additional equipment.