LONDON — NATO fighter jets have been scrambled and air defense systems put on alert in Poland in response to overnight Russian drone and missile strikes in Ukraine, the Armed Forces Operations Command in Warsaw said in a series of social media posts.
“Fighters have been scrambled, and ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance systems have been put on alert,” X Command said in a statement.
“These actions are preventive in nature and aimed at ensuring the safety of airspace and its protection, especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions,” the department added.
The alarm lasted just under four hours, after which the command said that the fighters and air defense systems “returned to normal operational activities.” No violations of Polish airspace were observed, X said in a statement.
This photo shows a Polish Air Force F-16 fighter during the 62nd NATO Exercise Tiger Meeting at Antonio Ramirez Air Base in Gioia del Colle, Italy, October 9, 2023.
Anadolu via Getty Images
The response, according to the command, involved the Spanish and Czech Air Forces, as well as German and Dutch air defense systems.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles (17 of them ballistic) into the country overnight. According to the Air Force, 585 drones and 30 missiles were shot down or suppressed.
Drone and missile strikes were reported in 29 locations, according to the Air Force.
The attack, which used 704 air attack units, was the largest night bombing of Russia since 705 munitions were fired on the night of Oct. 29, according to Ukrainian Air Force data analyzed by ABC News.
The largest attack of the war to date occurred on the night of 6 September, involving 823 air attack vehicles. The latest night attack is only the fourth of Russia's full-scale incursions to date, with more than 700 airborne assets used.
Rescuers work at the site of a warehouse that was damaged during overnight Russian missile and drone strikes in Novi Petrivtsi near Kiev, Ukraine, December 6, 2025.
Thomas Peter/Reuters
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said in a Telegram message that 10 regions of the country were attacked, with direct hits on residential buildings, railways and energy infrastructure.
According to Klimenko, more than two dozen houses were damaged in the Kyiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhytomyr and Lvov regions.
At least three people were injured in the Kyiv region, three more people in the Dnepropetrovsk region and two people in the Lviv region, Klimenko said.
In the Black Sea port city of Odessa, regional governor Oleg Kiper said an energy facility had been damaged, leading to power and heating outages. As of 9:30 a.m. local time, about 9,500 consumers were left without heating and 34,000 without water.
According to the authorities, damage was also caused to energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv, Zaporozhye, Lvov and Dnepropetrovsk regions.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, said in Post X that Ukraine The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant also temporarily lost all external power during the Russian strikes.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi “reiterates the call for military restraint to avoid a nuclear accident,” the report said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko said she had “convened an emergency coordination meeting” with the ministers of internal affairs and energy, as well as the leadership of state energy companies and all services responsible for restoration work.
A drone explosion lights up the sky over Kiev, Ukraine, during a Russian attack on December 6, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga said in Post X: “Russia continues to ignore any peace efforts and is instead targeting critical civilian infrastructure, including our energy system and railways.”
“This shows that no decisions to strengthen Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia can be postponed,” Sibikha added. “And especially not under the pretext of a peace process.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a social media post that energy facilities were “the main targets of these strikes.”
“Russia’s goal is to cause suffering to millions of Ukrainians,” the president wrote. “That is why additional pressure is needed. Sanctions must work, as must our air defenses, and that means we must continue to support those who protect lives.”
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down at least 121 drones between Friday night and Saturday morning.
ABC News' Morgan Winsor Natalya Kushnir, Natalya Popova and Anna Sergeeva contributed to this report.
