NATO scrambles warplanes as Putin launches another night of terror on Ukraine with attacks by 537 drones and 45 missiles

NATO has scrambled fighter jets after Putin launched a major air attack across Ukraine overnight. 

The bombardment of 537 drones and 45 missiles unleashed by Russian forces caused yet more death and destruction as civilians and energy and rail facilities were targeted.

The brutal attacks piled more agony on Ukraine at the end of a week which has seen dozens slaughtered in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as ‘vile’ strikes ‘demonstrating Putin’s true intentions – to continue killings, not to take steps towards peace’.

Ukraine hit back with targeted strikes at key Russian oil refineries and a chemical plant.

NATO was forced to scramble Polish and other Allied warplanes on Ukraine’s border due to the intensity of the Russian strikes, which included Putin’s nuclear capable strategic Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers.

A statement from Warsaw’s armed forces operational command said: ‘In connection with another attack by the Russian Federation striking objects on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace.’

The Operational Commander ‘activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, on-duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and ground systems of air defence and radio-location detection reached maximum alert.’

Russia unleashed dozens of Iskander-M, Iskander-K, Kalibr, Kh-59 and Kh-101 missiles as well as hundreds of killer Shahed drones.

In total, there were 537 strike drones and 45 missiles – one of the heaviest bombardments of the war.

Ukraine downed 548 of the 582 incoming strikes but still suffered acute damage.

Footage shows how Russian airstrikes targeted different buildings across Ukraine, with missiles seen hitting different buildings across the country, sparking massive infernos. 

Other videos reportedly show Kyiv’s retaliation, with Ukrainian airstrikes hitting Russian oil refineries. 

In the Ukrainiian city of Zaporizhzhia, 14 multi-story buildings and more than 40 private houses were hit by the Russians.

One person was killed, with at least 22 injured, including three children.

Rescue efforts were ongoing amid fears of casualties.

Fires broke out, and power outages recorded.

Residential buildings were ablaze in Dnipro city, and gas distribution infrastructure facilities were hit in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region.

Some ten rockets hit Dnipro in 15 minutes, according to local reports. 

Targets included Pavlohrad Chemical Plant, where solid rocket fuel is produced, and Pavlohrad Mechanical Plant.

Thunderous explosions hit Lutsk and Cherkasy, reportedly targeting energy infrastructure.

Russia hit railways in Kyiv region, delaying long-distance trains.

Strikes also hit Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv and Volyn regions in Russia’s latest attack. 

Ukraine ignited two key Russian oil refineries crucial to Putin’s military machine, with both seen ablaze early Saturday. 

One – in Krasnodar – produces three million tons of oil a year.

The other – Syzran Refinery in Samara region – produces some eight million tons of petrol, diesel fuel, and aviation kerosene annually.

A strike in Tula was believed to be targeted at a chemical plant producing gunpowder and explosives for the Russian armed forces.

Ukraine also staged a ‘massive attack’ with air and sea drones on occupied Crimea.

The night of fighting came after a week which saw Russia kill 25 civilians in Kyiv on one night – and hit the British Council building in the Ukrainian capital.

Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin – called in by the Foreign Office this week over the Kyiv strikes – said: ‘For my part, I will remind the British that the military carries out carefully calibrated and highly accurate strikes only on military targets and facilities that are associated with them.

‘I must say that one such facility of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex is in close proximity to the British Council building. It is literally across the street.

‘As far as I understand from here, it was successfully hit.’

Zelensky said: ‘We saw the world’s reaction to the previous shelling.

‘But now, when Russia is once again showing that it doesn’t care about words, we are counting on real action.’

 It comes as Russia on Thursday launched a major air attack on Kyiv that included a rare strike on the centre of Ukraine’s capital, killing at least 21 people, wounding 48 and damaging European diplomatic offices.

Britian said the attack sabotaged peace efforts, while top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas summoned Russia’s EU envoy to Brussels over the strikes that damaged EU offices. 

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on airstrikes against Ukraine on Friday afternoon at the request of Ukraine and the five European council members — Britain, France, Slovenia, Denmark and Greece.