Italian Air Force Eurofighter F-2000 jets launched in scramble mode from Šiauliai, Lithuania, to intercept two Russian military jets violating airspace along NATO’s eastern flank, according to informed sources speaking to ANSA. The interception, coordinated by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany, occurred amid a wave of intense aerial strikes across Ukraine, including ballistic missile hits in Kyiv and infrastructure damage in Odesa.
NATO Scramble Over Baltic Airspace
Two Eurofighter F-2000 aircraft belonging to the Italian Air Force’s Task Force Air ’Baltic Thunder III’ deployed rapidly from their base in Lithuania during the late afternoon. According to ANSA’s informed sources, the scramble was triggered by a direct violation of allied airspace by two Russian military jets. The operation fell directly under NATO’s collective air defense mission along the eastern flank and ran through the coordination of the Combined Air Operations Centre located in Uedem, Germany.
Kyiv and Odesa Struck by Drones and Ballistic Missiles
While interceptors patrolled the Baltic, attacks persisted across the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv experienced explosions starting just after midnight in a coordinated drone and ballistic missile assault. According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the strikes damaged an educational institution and several other buildings, leaving at least 12 people injured, including two children. Additional structural damage was documented across the Holosiivskyi, Brovary, and Fastivskyi districts. Simultaneously, regional authorities in Odesa reported that a Russian attack on a residential building along the Black Sea coast injured three individuals, including a child.
Did You Know?
Task Force Air ‘Baltic Thunder III’ is part of NATO’s air defense mission along the eastern flank.
Civilian Shipping and Infrastructure Targeted
Maritime transport also suffered direct hits. A Russian drone struck a Tanzanian-flagged civilian vessel en route to a Ukrainian port, killing the captain and injuring three crew members, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda through the Ukrainian Ministry of Community and Territorial Development. The ministry stated that systematic Russian targeting of ports and commercial merchant ships severely threatens international navigation in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed responsibility for bombing two road bridges over the Dniester River near Mayaky, which Moscow stated were utilized for military cargo transiting from Romania and the port of Izmail. The Russian defense agency additionally reported strikes on three drone production facilities and the De Novo data center near Kyiv, describing the facility as the largest center that guarantees the functioning of server equipment used for military purposes, as well as the processing, transmission and storage of data, including intelligence, for the benefit of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Retaliatory Strikes Deep Inside Russian Territory
Ukrainian long-range operations continued to target domestic Russian infrastructure and supply chains. In the Yaroslavl region, home to the Slavneft-YANOS refinery—one of Russia’s five largest petroleum facilities—local air defenses engaged incoming unmanned systems. According to Governor Mikhail Yevrayev, writing on the Max platform, defenses intercepted 65 drones during the operation. Yevrayev confirmed that falling debris shattered windows in several residential buildings and damaged vehicles while sparking fires at the petroleum facility, though no casualties were reported. Separately, in the Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slyusar reported nighttime explosions and drone destruction over the Millerovsky and Kamensky districts near a military airfield, with no initial reports of casualties or ground damage.

Frequently Asked Questions
What triggered the Italian Eurofighter scramble in Lithuania?
The Italian Air Force jets scrambled following a violation of NATO airspace by two Russian military jets, coordinated by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany, according to ANSA sources.
What casualties and damage were reported in Kyiv?
According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, nighttime drone and ballistic missile strikes injured at least 12 people, including two children, and damaged a school and multiple buildings across several districts.
Which maritime asset was impacted during the strikes?
A civilian cargo ship flying the Tanzanian flag and heading toward a Ukrainian port was struck by a Russian drone, resulting in the death of the captain and injuries to three crew members, as reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.
What facilities were targeted inside Russian territory?
Ukrainian long-range drone strikes targeted the Slavneft-YANOS petroleum refinery in the Yaroslavl region, where Governor Mikhail Yevrayev reported fires and property damage from falling debris, alongside drone activity reported near a military airfield in the Rostov region.
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