NATO jets scrambled as Russia launches devastating blitz with 53 missile and 600 drones | World | News

NATO was forced to scramble warplanes as Vladimir Putin showed his contempt for peace moves with one of the harshest missile and drone onslaughts of the entire war.

Electricity outages and heating cuts hit Ukraine early today in a savage attack on civilian infrastructure as temperatures sank to zero and below. A large thermal power plant in Kryvyi Rih – Volodymyr Zelensky’s birthplace – suffered a direct hit, with homes also damaged.

Kyiv region was hit with the Bila Tserkva power plant struck, the railway station gutted in Fastiv, and Vyshhorod suffering critical damage.

These were among multiple key facilities to be hit on a night and early morning from hell across Ukraine involving hundreds of drones as well as hypersonic missiles.

Railways and military airfields were also targeted in strikes intended to force Ukrainians to buckle to Vladimir Putin in his determination to force their surrender to his will on a detrimental peace deal.

Damage to essential supplies were recorded in Lutsk, Poltava, Rivne, and Chernihiv regions.

Hits were also sustained in Sumy, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, and Odesa regions.

The scale of the blitzkrieg – involving Tu-95MS and Tu-160MS strategic bomber aircraft – forced NATO state Poland to scramble war planes amid fears the ballistic and cruise missiles could threaten alliance territory.

“Due to the activity of long-range Russian air forces carrying out strikes on Ukrainian territory, military aviation has begun operating in Polish airspace,” said a statement.

“The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has activated the necessary forces and resources at its disposal.

“Fighter aircraft have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness.

“These actions are preventative in nature and aimed at securing and protecting airspace, especially in areas ….adjacent to the threatened areas.”

The Russian strikes came as the US and Ukraine said they had held “constructive discussions” on a peace deal during talks involving Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida.

Despite the peace moves, Putin made clear his priority is crippling Ukraine.

A 12-year old boy died in Dnipro from the Russian strikes – the latest child to be killed by the Kremlin’s armed forces in a war that has lasted almost four years.

In Kyiv, residents took shelter in underground metro stations.

Ukraine staged overnight strikes on a key oil refinery, aiming to harm Putin’s oil supplies but not hurt civilians.

The Ryazan refinery – one of the largest in Russia and critical to the capital city Moscow – was in flames.

A shot-down drone hit a tower block in the city.

It was the ninth time this year that Ukrainian drones had struck the refinery in Ryazan.

Ukraine fears that the US could withdraw from the peace process if Putin refuses to settle.

The country’s military commander-in-chief admitted this was a problem but vowed his country would fight on against the Russian aggressor.

“We hope that they will continue to provide full support,” said General Oleksandr Syrskyi.

“But we also hope that our European partners and allies, if necessary, will be ready to provide everything necessary for our just war against the aggressor.”