NATO forces scrambled fighter jets in Romania and Poland on Saturday after Russian military drones violated Romanian airspace for approximately 50 minutes, marking the latest escalation in Moscow’s increasingly aggressive operations near Alliance borders whilst Ukraine launched audacious strikes on key Russian defence facilities more than 1,800 kilometres from the frontline.
Romania deployed two F-16 fighter aircraft from the 86th Air Base in Fetești after detecting a Russian drone that penetrated the country’s airspace during attacks on Ukrainian ports along the River Danube. The drone was tracked 12 miles southwest of Chilia Veche before vanishing from radar, according to the Romanian Defence Ministry, which confirmed the incursion lasted nearly an hour despite Moscow’s claims that any cross-border flights were accidental.
The violation prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to condemn what he called Russia’s “obvious expansion of the war”, insisting that Russian military personnel “know exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air.” The incident follows an unprecedented breach of Polish airspace earlier this week when at least 19 Russian drones entered NATO territory, prompting the first combat engagement between Alliance forces and Russian assets since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Ukraine Strikes Deep into Russian Territory
In a dramatic overnight retaliation, Ukrainian forces struck the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Gubakha, Perm region, triggering explosions and fire at the facility that produces key precursors for high explosives used by Russian armed forces. The plant, located more than 1,800 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, manufactures components for PETN and RDX explosives, according to military intelligence sources who spoke to the Kyiv Independent.
“According to preliminary information, equipment for urea production has been damaged,” a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) confirmed. Whilst urea is primarily used in agriculture, it also serves as a crucial component in producing explosives for military applications.
The audacious strike came as Ukrainian forces also targeted two of Russia’s largest oil refineries. Footage showed the moment a Ukrainian drone hit the Novo-Ufimsky oil refinery in Ufa, some 870 miles from the frontline, whilst the Kirishi refinery in Leningrad region, with a capacity of 21 million tons per year, was set ablaze following another Ukrainian strike.
Putin Deploys Nuclear-Capable Missiles Near Polish Border
Adding to regional tensions, Russia ostentatiously deployed hulking Iskander-M missile launchers close to its border with Poland in the Kaliningrad region, supposedly as part of the ongoing Zapad-2025 military exercises. Video footage verified by the OSINT group CyberBoroshno showed at least two launchers carrying 9M723 ballistic missiles positioned on the E28 highway near Kudryavtsevo, approximately 35 kilometres from the Polish border.
The short-range ballistic missile systems, capable of carrying 10-to-50 kiloton nuclear warheads comparable to those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have a range exceeding 310 miles, placing NATO capitals including Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga, and potentially Tallinn and sections of Berlin within striking distance.
“Commentators are massively wondering why the missiles are placed so close and what it means for Poland’s security,” reported Polish media, noting the widespread concern on social networks about the provocative deployment.
NATO Launches ‘Eastern Sentry’ Operation
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on Friday that the Alliance would launch operation “Eastern Sentry” in response to Russia’s “absolutely reckless” behaviour, following the shooting down of Russian drones over Poland earlier this week. The operation will involve military forces from Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other Alliance members, deploying additional fighter aircraft and air defence systems along NATO’s eastern flank.
“Russia’s recklessness in the air, along our eastern flank, is increasing in frequency,” Rutte stated, describing the new mission as “flexible and agile.” The operation’s assets will include two Danish F-16s, an anti-air frigate, three French Rafale jets, and four German Eurofighters.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who invoked NATO’s Article 4 consultation mechanism following Tuesday’s mass drone incursion, warned that “words alone are by no means enough” in response to Russian aggression. “Today we must say very loudly and clearly to the entire Western world and all our allies – Article 4 is only the beginning of deeper cooperation for the security of our skies and our border, which is NATO’s border,” he declared.
Weekend’s Coordinated Attacks
Saturday’s incidents appeared coordinated, with Poland also scrambling fighter jets as Russian drones buzzed Ukrainian regions near its border. Polish authorities temporarily closed Lublin Airport in the country’s east as a precautionary measure, whilst Warsaw announced its air defence systems had reached “the highest state of readiness.”
The Romanian Defence Ministry spokesperson confirmed the country has adopted “a completely new legislative approach” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stating that “aircraft that cannot be neutralised by non-kinetic measures may be destroyed, depending on the level of threat, if there is a real danger to national security.”
Romanian Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu condemned Russia’s actions, posting on social media: “We condemn Russia’s reckless behaviour, which threatens regional stability. Together with our NATO allies, we remain vigilant and ready to defend every inch of allied airspace.”
Ukraine’s Strategic Campaign
The strikes on Russian chemical and oil facilities represent a significant escalation in Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt Russia’s war machine. The Metafrax Chemicals plant, sanctioned by both the UK and Ukraine, is owned by JSC Roschem, emphasising the strengthening of state control over strategic chemical production. In 2023, a Russian court ruled that the plant’s 1992 privatisation was illegal, arguing it violated “the economic sovereignty of the Russian Federation and its defence capability.”
Ukraine’s systematic targeting of oil refineries has led to acute fuel shortages and price spikes across dozens of Russian regions. The Kirishi refinery alone processes approximately 6.4% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity, whilst the strikes on facilities in Bashkortostan and other regions demonstrate Ukraine’s growing capability to strike deep behind enemy lines.
An explosion on a Russian rail mainline in Oryol region killed two national guard officers and caused major train delays, further disrupting Russian logistics networks. Sources in Ukrainian military intelligence told media that railway lines targeted are “critical supply routes for Russian forces operating in the Kharkiv and Sumy directions.”
International Response
The escalating tensions have drawn sharp responses from NATO allies. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the incidents “an escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine,” urging members to “raise the cost on Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest in Europe’s defence.
US President Donald Trump reacted with characteristic brevity, posting on Truth Social: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” Trump later spoke with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, with approximately 10,000 US troops currently stationed in Poland.
Defence ministers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, meeting in London, denounced the airspace violations as “unacceptable provocation” and pledged full support for Poland. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski stated unequivocally: “When one or two drones does it, it is possible that it was a technical malfunction. In this case, there were 19 breaches and it simply defies imagination that that could be accidental.”
Zelensky pleaded for tougher Western action to “halt Russia’s war machine,” arguing that the pattern of escalation shows Moscow “always pushes the boundaries of what is possible, and if it does not encounter a strong reaction, it remains at the new level of escalation.”
As tensions continue to mount along NATO’s eastern frontier, the Alliance faces its most direct military confrontation with Russia since the Cold War, with the shooting down of Russian drones marking a significant threshold in the conflict’s expansion beyond Ukraine’s borders.
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Image Credit:
140WG fighter jets return home after successful NATO exercise – Air Defender 2023 — photo by UK Ministry of Defence / Crown Copyright, OGL 3.0.
