Poland scrambles fighter jets as Russia strikes western Ukraine

Countries along NATO’s eastern flank are growing increasingly concerned about the risk of escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Fears of escalation from Russia's war on Ukraine continue to rise along NATO's eastern flank (File: Reuters)

Poland has scrambled its defences once again as Russian attacks overnight hit western Ukraine close to Poland’s border.

Poland’s armed forces said on Friday that they had scrambled fighter jets during the attacks and no violation of the country’s airspace was recorded.

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It was just the latest such alert as Poland and other countries along NATO ’s eastern flank grow increasingly concerned over the risk of escalation of the war in Ukraine as Russia appears to be accelerating its tests of regional defences. Later on Friday, Bulgaria’s defence minister said Sofia has requested help from NATO to bolster its defences.

During air attacks across Ukraine overnight, numerous strikes hit the Volyn region, cutting electricity to 370,000 people across the western district, which sits on the border with Poland. Governor Roman Romaniuk reported that two people were injured.

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, a drone attack killed three people and injured five, the regional governor said. In central Ukraine, police said strikes on an apartment block in Uman injured a similar number.

Private power company DTEK announced on Friday that it had implemented emergency power cuts across Kyiv due to ongoing strikes.

In Russia, officials said air defences had blocked a Ukrainian drone attack against a heating plant in the Vladimir region.

Ukraine has had significant success in attacking Russia’s energy infrastructure and its oil refineries in particular. However, that strategy has provoked anger from United States President Donald Trump, who has blamed Ukraine for pushing up global oil prices.

Russia said it shot down 644 Ukrainian drones overnight, 94 of them headed for Moscow.

Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said the capital’s four airports and St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport had suspended operations.

Ukrainian attacks killed two people in the Russian-controlled ‌Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, the Russian-installed ⁠governor said.

Concern over Russian activity near NATO territory has grown since the summer as Romania, Moldova, Poland and the Baltic states reported numerous intrusions of drones into their airspace and waters.

That activity appears to be becoming more bellicose. In recent weeks, drones have struck at least seven cargo ships off the Black Sea coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, leaving 25 people dead or missing.

Drones hit two ships off ⁠Romania’s coast this week. A hit on a commercial vessel that sank off Bulgaria’s coast on Tuesday prompted Sofia to summon Russia’s ambassador.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Friday that while the evidence pointed to Russia, his government does not have proof.

Shortly afterwards, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters that Bulgaria ‌has formally asked NATO to deploy combat ⁠aircraft and ⁠antidrone systems to bolster its defences.

“We have sent letters and a request to the NATO ⁠Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander, ⁠urging them to strengthen our capabilities, which also means deploying additional forces on our territory. We are awaiting their decision,” Stoyanov said.

NATO did ⁠not immediately respond to a request for comment, the Reuters news agency reported.

Stoyanov said he plans to ⁠meet his Romanian and Turkish counterparts ⁠soon to discuss coordinating action and a common approach to the situation in the Black Sea.

Bulgaria, which has proposed a moratorium ‌on attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, also expects to join a NATO antidrone initiative by ‌the ‌end of October.

Romania’s president has also said that his country has asked for additional equipment.

北约东翼各国越来越担心乌克兰战争升级的风险。

北约东翼对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰战争升级的担忧持续加剧（图片来源：路透社）

由于俄罗斯昨夜对乌克兰西部靠近波兰边境的地区发动袭击，波兰再次紧急加强防御。

波兰武装部队周五表示，袭击发生时他们紧急出动了战斗机，没有记录到任何侵犯该国领空的行为。

列表 1/3：俄罗斯情报失误后袭击基辅

列表 2/3：特朗普抨击泽连斯基，乌克兰恢复对俄罗斯炼油厂的袭击

列表 3/3：俄罗斯指责乌克兰违反美国斡旋达成的协议

这只是近期一系列类似警报中的最新一起。波兰和北约东翼其他国家日益担忧乌克兰战争升级的风险，因为俄罗斯似乎正在加速测试其在该地区的安全防御能力。周五晚些时候，保加利亚国防部长表示，索非亚已请求北约协助加强其防御。

昨夜乌克兰各地遭到空袭，沃伦州多次中弹，导致这个与波兰接壤的西部地区37万居民断电。州长罗曼·罗曼纽克报告称，有两人受伤。

据地区长官称，乌克兰东部城市哈尔科夫发生无人机袭击事件，造成三人死亡、五人受伤。在乌克兰中部城市乌曼，警方称一处公寓楼遭到袭击，造成类似人数的伤亡。

私营电力公司 DTEK 周五宣布，由于持续不断的罢工，该公司已在基辅实施紧急停电。

俄罗斯官员表示，防空部队阻止了乌克兰无人机对弗拉基米尔地区一家供热厂的袭击。

乌克兰在攻击俄罗斯能源基础设施，特别是炼油厂方面取得了显著成效。然而，这一战略激怒了美国总统唐纳德·特朗普，他指责乌克兰推高了全球油价。

俄罗斯称，一夜之间击落了 644 架乌克兰无人机，其中 94 架正飞往莫斯科。

半岛电视台记者尤利娅·沙波瓦洛娃从莫斯科报道称，首都莫斯科的四个机场和圣彼得堡的普尔科沃机场已暂停运营。

乌克兰方面发动的袭击导致俄罗斯控制的乌克兰东部卢甘斯克地区两人死亡，俄罗斯扶植的州长表示。

自夏季以来，人们对俄罗斯在北约领土附近的活动日益担忧，罗马尼亚、摩尔多瓦、波兰和波罗的海国家都报告了多起无人机入侵其领空和水域的事件。

这种活动似乎变得越来越具有挑衅性。最近几周，无人机在罗马尼亚和保加利亚黑海沿岸至少袭击了七艘货船，造成25人死亡或失踪。

本周，两艘船只在罗马尼亚海岸附近遭到无人机袭击。周二，一艘商船在保加利亚海岸附近沉没，索非亚方面随即召见了俄罗斯大使。

保加利亚总理鲁门·拉德夫周五表示，虽然证据指向俄罗斯，但他的政府没有证据。

随后不久，国防部长迪米塔尔·斯托亚诺夫告诉记者，保加利亚已正式请求北约部署作战飞机和反无人机系统，以加强其防御。

斯托亚诺夫说：“我们已致函北约秘书长和盟军最高司令，敦促他们加强我们的能力，这也意味着在我们领土上部署更多部队。我们正在等待他们的决定。”

据路透社报道，北约方面尚未对此事作出回应。

斯托亚诺夫表示，他计划尽快与罗马尼亚和土耳其的同行会面，讨论协调行动以及对黑海局势采取共同方针。

保加利亚已提议暂停对黑海民用船只的袭击，并预计将于 10 月底加入北约反无人机倡议。

罗马尼亚总统也表示，该国已请求提供更多设备。