NATO has responded to a severe missile and drone attack by Vladimir Putin along its eastern border with the scrambling of warplanes. The assault in Ukraine’s Kyiv region was particularly devastating, marking one of the most severe attacks this year. This action followed an offer by Putin to Donald Trump to acquire enriched uranium from Iran, which could be converted to weapons-grade material within weeks, enough to produce over 10 nuclear bombs.

Putin utilized Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers as part of his nuclear strike force to target civilian energy facilities in Ukraine. The attack involved 68 missiles, including Kalibrs, Kh-101s, and Iskanders, alongside 430 drones, with the majority being Iranian-designed Shaheds. Despite the intensity of the assault, all but six missiles and 28 drones were intercepted or disrupted.

In response to the escalating situation, NATO dispatched fighters and surveillance aircraft over Poland as a precautionary measure following similar actions over Romania the previous day. The Polish operational command confirmed the activation of necessary assets and forces, including quick-reaction fighter pairs and airborne early-warning aircraft, to address the ongoing threat.

The strikes in the Kyiv region resulted in five fatalities and 15 injuries, with reports indicating hits on power plants supplying military installations. Additionally, warehouses and production facilities in the city of Brovary, located near Kyiv, were targeted. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a significant missile barrage caused injuries, including two children aged 11 and 16 in Zaporizhzhia. Furthermore, a suburban train was struck in the Kharkiv region.

Ukrainian retaliation efforts ignited fires at the Afipsky oil refinery and targeted the port of Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Explosions in occupied Crimea damaged Russian Nebo-U radar installations, further escalating tensions in the region.