Poland scrambles jets after major Russian strikes on Ukraine

RTÉ News​

3 hours ago

Poland scrambled fighter jets this morning to secure its airspace after neighbouring western Ukraine was hit by major Russian strikes.
"Due to the intensive air attack by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft began to operate in Polish airspace in the morning," Warsaw's Operational Command said in a statement on social media.
Russia struck deep beyond the frontlines overnight, hitting western Ukraine with dozens of drones and missiles, according to Rivne Mayor Oleksandr Tretyak, who called it "the largest attack" on the region.
Russia has recently accelerated its campaign against Ukraine, dampening hopes of a ceasefire after a renewed diplomatic push to end the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Poland is one of Ukraine's closest allies and serves as a crucial logistics hub for Western military aid to Kyiv.
In March 2024, NATO member Poland reported a breach of its airspace by a Russian cruise missile, demanding an explanation from Moscow.
A similar incident occurred in December 2023, when a Russian missile penetrated Polish airspace for several minutes before returning to Ukraine.
Russian electronics factory struck
Meanwhile the Ukrainian military has said that it had struck the VNIIR electronic plant in Russia's Chuvashia region overnight, more than 600km east of Moscow.
The facility specialized in manufacturing navigation equipment used in Shahed-type drones, guided aerial bombs and high-precision weapons, it added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Local officials in the region said works were briefly suspended due to falling Ukrainian drones.
"This morning, Ukrainian attempts to use drones in Chuvashia were detected," regional governor Oleg Nikolayev wrote on Telegram, adding that there were no victims from the attack.
Ukraine regularly launches drone attacks on Russia in response to aerial bombardments by Moscow.
"Two drones fell on the territory of the VNIIR factory," said Mr Nikolayev.
The VNIIR facility is one of the main factories producing electronic components in Russia.
A decision was taken to "temporarily suspend production to ensure the safety of employees", the governor added.
Two drones fell into fields in the region without causing any danger to people, Mr Nikolayev said.
"The situation is entirely under control," he added.
Russia's defence ministry said it intercepted 49 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Putin approves big revamp of Russia's navy, Kremlin aide says
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new naval strategy which aims to fully restore Russia's position as one of the world's leading maritime powers, Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev said.
Russia has the world's third most powerful navy after China and the United States, according to most public rankings, though the navy has suffered a series of high-profile losses in the Ukraine war.
Mr Patrushev, a former KGB officer who served with Mr Putin in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg during Soviet times, said the new naval strategy - entitled "The Strategy for the Development of the Russian Navy up to 2050" - had been approved by Mr Putin in late May.
"Russia's position as one of the world's greatest maritime powers is gradually recovering," Mr Patrushev told the Argumenti i Fakti newspaper in an interview.
"It is impossible to carry out such work without a long-term vision of the scenarios for the development of the situation in the oceans, the evolution of challenges and threats, and, of course, without defining the goals and objectives facing the Russian Navy," Mr Patrushev said.
Mr Patrushev gave no further details about the strategy, though Russia has ramped up spending on defence and security to Cold War levels as a percentage of gross domestic product.
A US Department of Defence report said in 2021 that China had the largest navy in the world and that Beijing's overall battle force is expected to grow to 460 ships by 2030.
Open source data suggests Russia has 79 submarines, including 14 nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines, as well as 222 warships. It's main fleet is the Northern Fleet headquartered in Severomorsk on the Barents Sea.