NATO Scrambles Jets Amid One Of Deadliest Russian Attacks On Western Ukraine

Russia overnight carried out its typical aerial and drone strikes on Ukraine, but this time escalated attacks in Ukraine’s West, which apparently were close enough to the border to cause alarm in nearby Poland and Romania.

The two NATO member countries scrambled jet fighters in response amid the massive Russian and drone and missile strikes which killed at least 25 people, some of which were reported as children.

Romania’s defense ministry said that during the attacks on Ukraine a Russian drone entered its sovereign airspace. Its military then scrambled two Eurofighters which are part of NATO’s fleet. An additional pair of Romanian F-16s were also sent.

Simultaneously, Polish jets were launched to protect Polish airspace on Wednesday morning. “In connection with the attack by the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on facilities located on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation is operating in our airspace,” Poland’s military announced. All of this caused some regional commercial airport closures:

• Poland temporarily shut down two airports in its southeast, Rzeszow and Lublin, the Polish Civil Aviation Authority said.
• The air hubs were closed to provide freedom for warplanes, the regulator explained.

Russian strikes also focused on Kharkiv, resulting in dozens injured, in the overnight hours. These eastern strikes have become frequent, but large-scale attacks on Western Ukraine are much more rare.

Major direct hit on a residential area captured on video from the early morning hours…

Just look at this.

Ukraine’s Ternopil just this morning.

A Russian missile (Kh-101?) directly hits a residential block.

At least 25 killed, including 3 kids.

And of course, Russian propaganda and Telegram channels are wildly rejoicing in ecstasy. pic.twitter.com/zUB4xNZb4o

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) November 19, 2025

BBC describes of the carnage, “At least 25 people have been killed including three children in a Russian drone and missile attack on the western city of Ternopil that hit two blocks of flats, Ukrainian rescue officials say.”

“Another 73 people were wounded, 15 of them children, officials said, in one of the deadliest Russian strikes on western Ukraine since Moscow launched a full-scale war in 2022,” the report continues.

The attack comes at a moment of ‘secretive’ US-Russia talks based on a new 28-point peace plan by the Trump White House, but also as Europe is trying to rally bigger, urgent support to Kiev:

Russia is bombing – here, Ternopil.

Europe is watching. pic.twitter.com/DarVWI37UU

— Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) November 19, 2025

The Western cities of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk were also hit, which wounded over 30 people, and resulted in buildings and cars destroyed and set ablaze.

Russia is rejecting Ukrainian and European assertions it attacked civilian residencies, instead issuing a statement claiming the targets were military-linked defense industry buildings and energy sites:

“In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia this morning, the Russian armed forces launched a massive strike with long-range, air- and sea-based precision weapons, including hypersonic ballistic Kinzhal missiles and strike drones against the defense industry and energy facilities that supported its operation, as well as against long-range drone depots, located in western Ukrainian regions. The strike targets were achieved, and all designated objects were hit,” the statement read.

These are two ordinary residential buildings in Ternopil. Not military targets, but simply someone’s homes.

This morning Russia struck them, killing at least 10 people and injuring four dozen more, including 12 children.

Russian attacks across the country, from Kharkiv to… pic.twitter.com/U49GZd2kQc

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) November 19, 2025

Ukraine’s air force subsequently said close to 500 drones were sent by Russia in the attacks, and nearly 50 missiles. The statement said it intercepted the majority of them. But the several that got through clearly caused a lot of devastation.

The timing of this could derail the fresh Trump admin efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. Certainly the hawks in Europe will have more reason to reject any plan seen as offering too much compromise to Moscow.