NATO scrambles warplanes above Poland as Putin unleashes huge new drone attack on Ukraine

NATO scrambled warplanes over Poland today amid a huge Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine's gas and energy facilities.

The NATO warplanes were on alert to shoot down any Russian missiles entering Polish airspace. 

'In connection with the active activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation carrying out strikes against facilities located in western Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun to operate in our airspace,' said a statement from Warsaw's armed forces operation command headquarters. 

'The operational commander of the regional armed forces mobilised all the forces and means at his disposal,' said the statement.

'Duty pairs of fighter jets were put into the air, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest level of readiness.

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

'The Operational Command of the Armed Forces is monitoring the current situation and its subordinate forces and means remain fully prepared for immediate response.'

Vladimir Putin had sent up his Tu-95MS strategic bombers from an Arctic airfield to launch devastating strikes impacting civilian Ukrainians.

This came hours after Donald Trump had said the Kremlin dictator wanted to stop the war - and only the US president knew the secret reason why Putin has 'no choice'.

If so, there was little sign of peace from Russia today with savage strikes on cities and regions across Ukraine including dozens of ship-launched Kalibr and strategic bomber-launched Kh-101 missiles, according to one unofficial source, as Putin appeared to intensify his war.

A gas pipeline exploded after a missile strike in Ternopil, with massive flames towering into the night sky.

Head of Ternopil regional administration Vyacheslav Nehoda said: 'As a result of a night enemy attack in the Ternopil region, a critical industrial facility was hit by a rocket.

'There may be restrictions on gas supply.'

Missiles also struck gas storage facilities in Poltava and Sumy regions, where numerous explosions were recorded, along with Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia.

In Kharkiv - Ukraine's second city, traditionally mainly Russian speaking - 'critical infrastructure' was hit in an Iskander-M missile strike along with nine multi-storey residential buildings and 36 private sector buildings, and heating supplies disrupted.

Seven people were wounded, said mayor Ihor Terekhov.

In Odesa, port warehouses - which stored ammunition - were struck along with power substations.

The latest Russian blitzkrieg came as the Trump administration has blocked Ukraine from access to US intelligence including the ability to use power Western long range missiles to target Putin's military machine.

Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko said: 'Russia continues its energy terror.

'Again the energy and gas infrastructure in various regions of Ukraine is under massive missile and drone shelling.

'Where possible, rescuers and energy workers are working to eliminate the consequences.

'All necessary measures are being taken to stabilise energy and gas supplies.

'Russia is trying to hurt ordinary Ukrainians by shelling energy and gas production facilities, without abandoning its goal of leaving us without light and heat, and causing the greatest harm to ordinary citizens.

'While the danger continues - please stay in shelters.'

Prominent Ukrainian activist and lawyer Serhii Sternenko said sarcastically: 'As part of their 'pursuit of peace', the Russians carried out a massive combined attack against our electricity and gas infrastructure in the morning.

'They used ballistic, cruise [missiles] Kh-101 and Kalibr, aircraft guided missiles, and UAVs.'

The ruthless strikes at civilian energy supplies mean civilians face losses of gas and electricity for many days.

Residents in Pivdenne, Odesa region, were told they would have no power for five days after the main transformer was destroyed.

The strikes came ahead of scheduled peace deal talks between Ukraine and US officials in Saudi Arabia next week.

Trump said Putin had a secret reason for reaching a deal.

'I think what's going to happen is Ukraine wants to make a deal because I don't think they have a choice,' the US president said.

'I also think that Russia wants to make a deal because, in a certain, different way, a different way that only I know, only I know, they have no choice either.'

Today's attacks also came hours after Volodymyr Zelensky had proposed an end to energy strikes as the first step in halting hostilities.

'Everyone must ensure that Russia, the only culprit of this war, recognises the need to end it,' he said.

'This can be proven by two forms of silence: no attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure - no launching of missiles, bombs, long-range drones, no military operations in the Black Sea,' he said.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Pravda Gerashchenko said: 'Putin has once again shown how much he 'wants peace': residential buildings, civil, energy and gas infrastructure of Ukraine have been attacked.'