Bulgaria asks NATO for jets as Russian strikes near Poland put the eastern flank on alert

Poland sent up fighter jets early on Friday as Russian drones and missiles pounded western Ukraine close to its border, and by the afternoon Bulgaria had formally asked NATO to station combat aircraft on its soil. The two moves showed how nervous the alliance’s eastern members have become as Russia’s war spills towards their frontiers and into the Black Sea.

Poland’s armed forces said the jets were scrambled during the overnight attacks and that no violation of Polish airspace was recorded.

A dark night in Volyn

Some of the heaviest blows fell on Volyn, the region that borders Poland. Strikes cut electricity to 370,000 people there, and Governor Roman Romaniuk said two people were injured. A day earlier Zelenskyy had said Russian drones hit energy infrastructure in Lutsk, the regional capital, while he was in talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Elsewhere, a drone attack on Kharkiv in the east killed three people and wounded five, the regional governor said. Police in central Ukraine said strikes on an apartment block in Uman injured about as many. The private power company DTEK brought in emergency power cuts across Kyiv because of the continuing strikes.

Ukraine hit back. Russia said it shot down 644 Ukrainian drones overnight, 94 of them heading for Moscow, and the capital’s four airports and St Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport were reported to have suspended flights. The Russian-installed governor of occupied Luhansk said Ukrainian attacks killed two people there.

Bulgaria turns to the alliance

The pressure on Bulgaria has come from the sea. In recent weeks drones have struck at least seven cargo ships off the Black Sea coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, leaving 25 people dead or missing. A merchant ship sank off Bulgaria on Tuesday, and Sofia summoned Russia’s ambassador.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Friday that the evidence pointed to Russia, though his government did not have proof. Shortly afterwards, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Bulgaria had asked NATO to deploy combat aircraft and anti-drone systems.

“We have sent letters and a request to the NATO Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander, urging them to strengthen our capabilities, which also means deploying additional forces on our territory. We are awaiting their decision,” Stoyanov said.

He said he would meet his Romanian and Turkish counterparts soon to agree a common approach to the Black Sea. Bulgaria has proposed a moratorium on attacks on civilian ships and expects to join a NATO anti-drone initiative by the end of October. Romania’s president has also asked allies for more equipment.

Why it matters

Romania, Moldova, Poland and the Baltic states have reported repeated drone intrusions into their airspace and waters since the summer. The attacks on shipping have made the threat more concrete for countries that are not at war but sit on Russia’s doorstep.

The alerts came as EU leaders met in Brussels, where Ukraine pressed for more air defence before winter and the bloc’s leaders promised to keep up pressure on Moscow.