NATO sends fighter jets to Poland in response to Putin using nuclear-ready long-distance bombers to attack Ukraine.

NATO was forced to scramble its warplanes in Poland today as Vladimir Putin used strategic bombers to attack neighbouring Ukraine.

The strikes came despite Vladimir Putin insisting he wanted peace ‘as soon as possible’.

Putin used Tu-95MS nuclear-capable strategic bombers, causing panic in Kyiv as residents rushed for the metro underground shelters.

Explosions were heard in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Sumy, as well as in Kyiv and Cherkasy regions.

Drones were also used by Russia with several people suffering injuries.

Warsaw’s armed forces operation command headquarters reported that due to the recent activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation targeting areas in western Ukraine, military aircraft are now operating in Polish airspace.

Ground-based air defences and radar reconnaissance systems were also ‘put on alert’.

This development occurred shortly after a US B-52 bomber conducted a mission that took it within 50 miles of the Russian border as a demonstration of strength on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The B-52 aircraft, known for providing the US with immediate nuclear and conventional global strike capabilities, departed from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and flew to the NATO frontline state with the support of F35s and F-A18 fighters.

The planes jetted in formation over soldiers and tanks as a military parade of over 1,000 troops from NATO and the Estonian Defense Forces took place in Tallinn.

February 24 marked three years since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, and is also Estonian independence day. 

Putin used Tu-95MS nuclear-capable strategic bombers, causing panic in Kyiv as residents rushed for the metro underground shelters

Emergency workers search for a civilian in the rubble in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine

The B-52 jets are nuclear capable and were flown less than 50 miles from Russia, over eastern Estonia

America today flew B-52 bomber jets less than 50 miles from the Russian border in a show of strength on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 

Estonia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has been a member of NATO for 21 years.

The B-52H Stratofortress, flanked by F35s and F-A18 fighters, flew near Russia just days after US aides met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the Ukraine war.

The three-year mark arrived at a sensitive moment for Kyiv as Volodymyr Zelensky navigates a rapidly changing international environment upended by Donald Trump’s major shift of US policy and warming relations with Moscow.

Washington has been accused of freezing Ukraine out of negotiations with Russia, with Trump last week justifying doing so by wrongly calling Zelensky ‘a dictator without elections’ – despite votes only being halted in the war-torn country due to martial law.

The Ukrainian President on Sunday said he was willing to step down if it meant securing peace for his country, suggesting that he could do so in exchange for Ukraine’s entry into NATO or other security guarantees.

But Vladimir Putin will only end the Ukraine war when there is a deal that ‘suits’ Russia, its foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday/

This morning’s scrambling of NATO jets over Poland came amid fears Russia was unleashing missiles close to the Polish border as Russia continued its aerial assault of Ukraine.

At least two Tu-95MS bombers were reported taking off from Russia’s Olenya air base in the Arctic.

All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts starting at around 0350 GMT after the country’s air force warned of the oncoming Russian attack that also forced Poland to scramble NATO aircraft to ensure air safety.

The full scale of the attack was not immediately clear. 

There was no comment from Russia.

This morning’s attacks come just weeks after another similar round of strikes that saw NATO’s F-16 and F-35 warplanes scrambled when Russia fired of low-flying Kalibr missiles at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. 

‘Due to the attack of the Russian Federation, which is striking objects located on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has started operating in our airspace,’ reported Warsaw’s Armed Forces Operational Command on February 11.

The operational commander ‘deployed all available forces and means’.

‘Duty pairs of fighters have been put into the air, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance assets have been put on the highest alert.

This image reportedly shows the aftermath of Ukrainian missile strike at a  oil refinery in Russia’s  Saratov region 

A Norwegian Air Force F-16 fighter jet (file image). NATO scrambled the jets to its Eastern flank following Russia’s attack on Ukraine 

‘The measures taken are aimed at ensuring security in the territories bordering the threatened areas.

‘The Armed Forces Operational Command is monitoring the current situation, and its subordinate forces and means remain fully prepared for an immediate response.’ 

Polish Military Radar monitoring channel reported ‘high activity of NATO aircraft near the Polish-Ukrainian border due to a missile attack.

‘In the zone of operations there are certainly also our F-16 aircraft and very possibly F-16 USAF or F-35 Norwegian forces stationed in Krzesiny.’

One target was reported to be Mirhorod air base in Poltava region, home of Ukraine’s 831st tactical aviation brigade.

The Russian army attacked Naftogaz’s production facilities in the Poltava region, the company reported.

Ukraine’s energy minister Herman Halushchenko imposed emergency blackouts.

‘At night, the enemy attacked the gas infrastructure,’ he said.

‘In order to minimise the possible consequences for the energy system, the operator of the transmission system urgently applies measures of emergency electricity restrictions.

‘As soon as the security situation will be allowed, the consequences will be specified…..while the danger lasts, stay in shelters.’

F-35 jets lined up on HMS Prince of Wales flight deck (file image)

NATO jets scrambled near Polish-Ukrainian border amid Russian missile attack, as Ukraine strikes key oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region (pictured)

In overnight strikes on Russia, drone attacks by Ukraine exploded a major oil refinery in Saratov, part of the Kremlin-linked Rosneft empire.

At least 11 explosions were heard at Engels in Saratov region, home of Russia’s strategic bombers.

Russian air defences were active.

The scale of any damage was not immediately clear.