Warsaw/Lviv, October 5, 2025: NATO member Poland scrambled military aircraft early Sunday after Russia launched a new wave of airstrikes on Ukraine, with missiles and drones pounding the Lviv region, just miles from the Polish border.
Poland’s Operational Command said in a post on X that “Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace” and that air defence and radar systems have been placed on the highest alert to ensure national security.
“Our ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” the command said, noting that operations were coordinated with NATO allies.
The alert came amid a night of intense Russian attacks across Ukraine, triggering nationwide air raid sirens and prompting fears of potential airspace violations in NATO territory.
Poland and other eastern-flank NATO members have been on high alert for weeks following a series of suspected Russian drone incursions. In September, Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace, while recent drone sightings in Copenhagen and Munich have caused temporary aviation disruptions across Europe.
Adding to the concern, Lithuania temporarily closed its main airport in Vilnius overnight after reports of unidentified balloons heading toward the facility late Saturday.
According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, several commercial flights early Sunday diverted away from Poland’s Lublin and Rzeszow airports, which are located near the Ukrainian border and are frequently used for humanitarian and military logistics.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the data, and there were no immediate flight disruption notices on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website.
In western Ukraine, the Lviv region came under heavy missile and drone attacks, prompting the country’s air force to issue its most severe warnings overnight.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said air defence units were engaged in repelling multiple waves of attacks, including both drones and missiles.
As of 7:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT), parts of Lviv were left without power, and public transport was suspended.
“It is dangerous to go out into the streets,” Sadovyi warned on Telegram.
Reuters correspondents reported hearing continuous blasts resembling air defence systems intercepting targets from several directions around the city, which lies just 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the Polish border.
In southeastern Ukraine, a late-night strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia left one person dead and nine injured, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.
He said apartment buildings, private homes, and vehicles were damaged, and windows were blown out across several neighbourhoods.
“Apartment blocks and private houses were damaged, cars burned. Windows were blown out, yards wrecked,” Fedorov reported on Telegram.
More than 73,000 customers in the region were left without electricity after the attack, officials added.
Just 55 kilometres southwest of the city, the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — Europe’s largest — has reportedly been cut off from external power since September 23, raising renewed safety concerns.
The head of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday urged both Kyiv and Moscow to demonstrate the “political will” to keep the area around the nuclear facility safe, warning that continued fighting near the plant poses serious risks to European security.
As of Sunday morning, Russia had not commented on the overnight attacks. Both Moscow and Kyiv have continued to launch airstrikes targeting key infrastructure, particularly energy and transport facilities, as part of their wider military strategies.
The renewed wave of attacks underscores the fragility of European airspace security as NATO allies tighten coordination and defensive readiness amid escalating cross-border tensions.
