Poland scrambles jets as Russia strikes western Ukraine

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/b08a/live/8e6ec6f0-a1c1-11f0-8717-15b6df652bfb.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters Two Polish F-16 fighter jets flying side by side" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Reuters Polish jets have been deployed in a single day as Russian strikes focused Ukrainian areas near Poland (file photograph)

Russia pounded Ukraine with missile and drone assaults in a single day on Saturday and into Sunday morning, specializing in the most important western metropolis of Lviv.

Ukraine's neighbour Poland scrambled fighter jets to be able to guarantee the security of Polish airspace, the Polish army confirmed. Allied Nato plane have been additionally deployed.

Lviv's regional head Maksym Kozytskyi mentioned two individuals have been killed in strikes within the area, and two extra injured.

Elsewhere, Russia once more focused Ukraine's energy vegetation - and one was struck in an in a single day assault on Zaporizhzhia, the place the mayor mentioned one individual died and greater than 73,000 individuals have been with out electrical energy.

The Russian assaults got here days after a US official mentioned the US would assist Ukraine launching deep strikes inside Russian territory.

"Polish and allied plane are working in our airspace, whereas ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance methods have been delivered to the very best state of readiness," Poland's operational command mentioned in a publish on X.

At 05:10 (02:10 GMT), all of Ukraine was underneath air raid alerts following Ukrainian Air Drive warnings of Russian missile and drone assaults.

Russia has stepped up its assaults on Ukraine's power infrastructure.

Lviv's mayor Andriy Sadovyi mentioned a part of the town - 70 km (43 miles) from the border with Poland - had no energy, including that metropolis's air defence methods have been engaged closely in repelling first a drone after which a Russian missile assault.

As of 07:30 (04:30 GMT), components of the town have been left with out energy and public transport was but to begin working, with Sadovyi stressing on Telegram that it was "harmful to exit into the streets".

In Zaporizhzhia, Russia's in a single day assault left "greater than 73,000 shoppers... with out electrical energy", in accordance with Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor.

One individual was killed, and 9 injured, Fedorov mentioned.

A 16-year-old woman was amongst these receiving medical help, he added, posting images apparently displaying a partly destroyed multi-storey block and a burnt-out automotive from the positioning of the assault.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb49/live/13f22d00-a1bb-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Map: Poland and Ukraine are marked on a map, with Poland shaded in dark yellow. A circular point marks Lviv, in western Ukraine. The map is meant to show the proximity of Lviv to Poland" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Public transport in Ivano-Frankivsk, one other western metropolis, would "begin working later than regular" on Sunday, its mayor mentioned.

The a number of strikes have been a part of Russia's threats towards the entire of Ukraine in a single day.

At round 06:00 (03:00 GMT), Ukraine's Air Drive mentioned the entire nation was underneath the specter of contemporary Russian missile assaults, following hours of air raid alerts and warnings of drone and missile assaults.

Russian forces have occupied most of Ukraine's jap Donbas area, together with Luhansk and Donetsk, because the begin of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia at the moment controls round a fifth of Ukrainian territory, together with the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

For the reason that begin of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its forces have occupied most of Ukraine's jap Donbas area, together with Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russia at the moment controls round a fifth of Ukrainian territory, together with the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

In Russia, air defence items destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones in a single day, the state-owned RIA information company reported on Sunday, citing knowledge from Russia's defence ministry.

Final week, US Particular Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg mentioned on Fox Information that the US would assist Ukraine launching deep strikes inside Russian territories.

"The reply is sure, use the flexibility to hit deep, there aren't any things like sanctuaries," Kellogg mentioned when requested if it was President Donald Trump's place that Ukraine might conduct long-range strikes.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3c6e/live/bdd53bf0-a1bb-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Map showing which areas of Ukraine are under Russian military control or limited Russian control" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> In the meantime, one other Nato member - Lithuania - needed to shut its airspace briefly after objects have been noticed, following current incidents in Denmark, Norway and Germany.

Lithuania suspended flights at its largest and busiest Vilnius airport for a number of hours, earlier than reopening it at 04:50 (01:50 GMT) on Sunday.

The airport's operator mentioned the flight suspensions and diversions have been "resulting from a attainable collection of balloons heading towards Vilnius Airport".